


The Help in Her Solitude

by Wixiany



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, M/M, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2018-12-18 08:26:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 53,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11870451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wixiany/pseuds/Wixiany
Summary: She hides that she is mutant, but isn't it better than being despised? She's always avoided her mutation but an incident at her office makes her reconsider everything. One accident leads to another and she finds herself in front of a huge decision. Will she follow the mysterious man on a wheelchair who offers a help she so desperately needs?





	1. Pain

She sat in her office, doing some paper work for her boss when someone knocked on her door. She turned her head to see who it was, she would invite them in, but seeing the door already opening, it was useless. Judging by that, it was either her boss or extremely rude person. She wasn't sure what was worse. The sick pervert she got so lucky to have for a boss or some angry old man with ridiculous complaints that she could do nothing about.

As soon as Bradshaw entered with a grin plastered on his face, she internally cringed. But as a good and polite employee she forced a smile and looked up to her boss.

He closed the door behind him. 'So a conversation longer than usually,' she sighed to herself.

"How can I help you Mr. Bradshaw?" she asked as polite as she could in the current situation.

"You see Olivia, can I call you Olivia?" he asked her mid-sentence. She had no idea why he was approaching her right now, nor why he insisted on calling her by her name.

"Um, okay," she answered hesitantly. It wasn't appropriate in their kind of relationship. They weren't even friends from work and she didn't feel exactly comfortable with him doing it but she managed to bite her tongue and keep her eyes on him.

"Wonderful." His grin got even bigger.

"So Olivia, I feel like your performance in this firm is... how to put it... somehow lacking. But do not worry, I have just the right idea," he told her while he, not so professionally, walked towards her and leaned on the table, one of his hands resting behind her back on the top of the chair.

She gulped visibly. She didn't like the way this was going.

Olivia sank deeper into her chair, if that was even possible. The more space between her and him was only better. She considered what to say, if what she assumed was true, there was no way she was sleeping with this bastard.

"If you have any issues with my work performance, I suggest you write a complaint and send it to appropriate division." She was kind of proud of herself. It had sounded professional. There was no way for him to get past it.

"Ah, I see. So you are going in that direction," he faked sadness for a second and she even thought he was going to leave, that was until he totally changed his previous kind of approach.

He abruptly took her hands in his and turned her chair so she faced him.

Olivia was left with her mouth hanging open and the fear slowly crept into her mind. However, he didn't know what she was.

"I guess I didn't make myself clear. I have friends on high places, one word and no one will ever hire you again!" Okay, it came to threatening. It sounded really vicious but he was apparently overestimating his so called 'friends'. No man was able to do such a thing. And he definitely didn't look like president, besides she could just move to another country.

He yanked her arm painfully.

"Cannot you hear me?" he yelled while she tried to free her arms from his. It seemed that she wandered in her own thoughts for quite a long time. He didn't like that.

"Let go of me!" she hissed and attempted to kick him, which was pretty hard in her black pencil skirt.

He laughed and easily blocked her kick. She hadn't succeeded with that one but now, one of her hands was free. She reached for the heavy decoration which stood next to the phone. She probably should have taken phone instead but it was useless, she wouldn't type even the second number.

The vase wasn't exactly her weapon of choice but it was rather that then being discovered as a mutant.

"Oh, you ain't going anywhere." He pulled her back and threw her to the chair. She let out a groan as her back hit it painfully.

"Don't!" She warned him one last time.

He only grinned and attacked her lips with his lustfully. She still had enough will to fight him. She would never allow any man to use her like that.

Olivia bit his lower lip with as much force as possible. The metallic taste of blood spread in her mouth.

He touched his lip in a surprise, only to see his fingers return covered in red.

"You bitch!" He screamed and moved his hand to slap her. It happened so fast. Her face stung and she glared at him in disbelief.

He was pissed off, his hands moved to her chest and he tore her blouse open.

She had decided that it was enough. With a swift motion, she outstretched her currently free hand and placed it to his chest, this caught him off guard and he stopped his assault.

She didn't allow herself to get distracted and with as much power as she had left, she sent it. Olivia transferred the pain into his body, almost feeling it flow out of her hands and into every single one of his nerves. And as she expected, it worked perfectly. After all, it always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please leave a comment if you liked the story or disliked... :)


	2. Unfortunate first meeting

Bradshaw immediately let go off her and trashed down to the ground in pain. Olivia sat there stunt. She did it. She finally did the single thing she feared the most. Using her powers had always been a big no. Mutation could be a gift. Many people wished to be different, unique, but she saw it as a curse. And that was exactly what it was. Not a gift, only a source of pain, in her case literally.

Now, everyone would realize what she really was. It would never be the same, not here. They would fear her, avoid her.

She composed herself, made herself presentable, well, more like she buttoned up her blouse and straightened her skirt.

He was still down there, whimpering like a small girl. She sent him one last disgusted glare and walked out of her office.

She didn't run. According to what she knew from TV that was something to avoid. She did her best to appear normal and avoided rushing.

When she was already a safe distance from a building, Olivia looked back. The Worthington Industries was same as ever. It stood tall in the middle of New York as if nothing happened. Another firms and restaurants around it, they were all the same. People went in and out without noticing her. They had their own business to attend to and no one paid attention to a woman who looked just like them. But there was the huge difference. She wasn't one of them. She was more, a mutant. And they would find out soon.

With that on her mind, she turned around and continued walking down the road, but just before she turned her back to the building, from the corner of her eye, she saw security exiting it in haste. They were after her without doubt.

Bradshaw would likely turn this against her, saying she was mindless mutant. And a lot of people would believe him. Her, basically running away was probably not the right idea, but it was too late.

Olivia decided to take a bus to her father's house. It was far from the city rush and he would help her. Their relationship wasn't perfect, she called him not as often as she should but he knew about her mutation. It seemed as the safest place for now since her apartment was surely the first place where they would be looking for her.

The bus drive went without problems. No one recognized her and there was only music playing, no news. It wasn't even full so she sat alone and had a chance to rest her legs. She was still wearing a tight skirt and a few inches high shoes weren't exactly helpful during her escape.

An hour later she found herself knocking on her old family house. The person who answered the door was someone unexpected. Olivia's mouth fell open as she stared at the strange woman in shock.

The moment of surprise passed and she realized that there was a stranger in her home.

"Who the hell are you?" The anger was apparent in her voice. Olivia didn't like this woman one bit. Maybe it was for her terribly dyed hair or for her neon yellow dress, she didn't know. There was something simply irritating about her.

"I'm Marge, I live here with Frederick," the stranger, now known as Marge said. The anger in Olivia's voice didn't startle her.

"Since when? And where is dad?" She couldn't believe it. It was only about two months since they talked and he would definitely mention a girlfriend and if it was as serious as living together? But there was also the small fact that her father almost never dated, he still loved her mother, even years after she passed away. Seeing this blond woman was understandably big news for her.

"Working, but I guess you must be Olivia, his only child," she answered cheerfully, still unaffected by Olivia's foul mood.

She nodded hesitantly.

"Welcome, I was looking forward to meeting his little Libby." The woman suddenly enveloped her in a big hug. Olivia cringed at the nickname and returned the hug, though she remained cautious as always.

Then, Marge let her in and made a tea for both of them. Olivia accepted it purely out of politeness.

Marge, whose full name was Margaret, kept talking about herself and Olivia simply listened, occasionally nodding her head.

The tea wasn't really good, just plain fruit one, but it sort of eased her nerves, she didn't even know she needed it. She could hear people talking from living room. Marge must have been watching television when she arrived and interrupted her daily routine.

"My cat just disappeared, like absolutely no trace! But when she is hungry she will be back. I know my Darcy wouldn't just leave me," Marge sighed during her monologue. Olivia didn't consider it necessary to answer, she just hoped that the cat wasn't coming back and that wouldn't please Marge. But Olivia couldn't help her illogical phobia of animals. She blamed it on that traumatic day in circus when she was eight.

"Would you like some cookies? I baked some earlier, they are in living room," she offered but didn't wait for a response and instead moved to the said room.

Olivia took the cup with her and followed Marge. The news was playing on TV and she tried to sneak closer to turn the thing off. However, the luck wasn't on her side and as soon as she was reaching to do it, she saw her face and froze on the spot.

"This woman is a criminal on run and a dangerous mutant. Olivia Tanner, 24, attacked her employer and disappeared. Police is asking people to call immediately if you spot her. She is approximately 5' 8" tall and slim with a long black hair. Last time she was seen in a blue blouse, black pencil skirt and heels. Please call this number..." The cup slipped her hands and broke into a tiny pieces, tea staining the old blue carpet. She saw it coming but it being actually in TV made her shudder. She slightly overcame her shock, enough to act.

When she turned around to explain everything to Marge, she wasn't there. She was staying by the door with a phone in her hand, her face pale.

"You are one of them. Please don't hurt me, I had to do it!" Her tear-filled eyes cast at television and Olivia figured out what had happened. Marge called the police.

"It was self-defense!" She didn't particularly like her father's new girlfriend but she felt the need to defend herself. She wasn't a criminal for goodness' sake!

She left Marge there on the verge of tears and hurried upstairs to her old room. She quickly undressed and put on a hoodie, jeans and her old sneakers.

Marge didn't even move while she changed and just stared at her. She quickly put her hair into a ponytail and put her hood up.

Sirens echoed in a distance and they locked eyes. There was nothing more to say and Marge didn't dare to stop her when she emerged from the door, which lead into a backyard. But her escape route proved to be a mistake.

She got out of house unnoticed but only to be met by a blue furry monster.


	3. Choose

It was as if everything disappeared and it was only her and the thing. All the sounds blent in the background and she was suddenly back to that day when she visited circus with her parents. That moment when a big bear stood on his back legs roaring at her small, eight years old self was stuck in her mind and she couldn't push the image back, now that a similar furry animal was standing right in front of her.

It was a bit different, though. It resembled a man and for a moment she thought it was a mutant as well. But how can it be? Well, she knew she wasn't the only one but it didn't explain what he was doing in her old backyard.

He took a step forward and her illogical fear of animals kicked in and she stumbled back.

He extended one fur-covered hand with sharp claws, it seemed like a peace sign but with her phobia and his looks, Olivia couldn't bring herself to stay calm.

Her mind was racing and she was quickly calculating her way out. This man seemed dangerous and the police, that would arrive shortly, didn't sound appealing either.

'Here goes nothing,' she sighed heavily and launched herself at the blue man.

The element of surprise played in her cards and she used her mutation against him. She had no idea if he was super strong or if he could heal fast so she guessed more pain would work better. She sent him a great amount, probably the most she had ever did. And then, she ran out without sparing him a single glance which was a mistake.

If she stayed long enough, she would witness him fall to his knees with his eyes closed and hands balled into fists in agony. But she didn't know that all her thoughts about him were right and he recovered in record time. His heeling factor was beyond the one of humans and his strong body could endure more pain than she could ever imagine.

Her lack of attention resulted in her being swept of her legs just as she managed to run few meters away from a back gate.

The strong hand pulled her behind a van which was so 'luckily' parked there, offering a great cover. Another hand was covering her mouth to keep her silent. She was wiggling in his arms, trying to pry herself away. She didn't have to guess who was holding her down since she felt his fur brushing her face.

She managed to hold her tears from forming but she couldn't stop the fear or the shiver it sent down her spine. Was this man really a threat? He sure as hell was acting like one but what was he hoping to achieve? Kidnap her? Wasn't Bradshaw, attempting to practically rape her, enough for a day?

She calmed slightly when she noticed police cars with a loud sirens speed by and she finally understood a small part of what was happening. It seemed like he had no intention of hurting her just yet. More like he was protecting her but she wouldn't trust him for now. He was still a potential danger to her and she wanted to just be alone. So what she did next wasn't much of a surprise.

As soon as police was out of sight, Olivia reached for his hand and clutched it with all strength she had. Using her powers so much was getting tiresome, especially when she hardly ever used it and this time she really struggled to send him even a small bit. Luckily it was enough to distract him and he loosened his firm grip on her waist. She kicked him without looking but she felt like she hit something and he only proved it by lowering himself to one knee and with a last of her might, she sent him pain one last time and finally freed herself. He growled as a beast and she backed away from him, almost tripping on the concrete pavement. She glanced around frantically. Her father's house was her only sanctuary but it had been compromised. She had nowhere to go, no friends or family to turn to. But she realized that standing on the street was also not the best idea.

As Olivia turned to head to her right, she was met by a bald man on a wheelchair. 'What the actual fuck?'

She recognized him from somewhere but she couldn't place it where and there was no way he was a simple neighbor, enjoying the nice weather. His chair looked expensive and so did his suit and it would be a big coincidence if he just so happened to find two mutants fighting and also his collected and calm expression told her that he was not even slightly scared of them, like he knew all about them.

As if these two men weren't enough, the sirens blasedt again from her back, blocking her only way. She spun around but there were no police cars yet, only sounds and when Olivia glanced at the disabled man, he was closer than before.

"Don't go any closer!" she shouted with her face to him, but it was warning for a blue one as well.

"You need help," the man stated matter-of-factly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She was stunned for a second, did he know what she 'supposedly' did to her boss, was that the reason they were here?

"We both know the truth Olivia." His statement left her with mouth full open and she almost yelled the next question: "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"I will explain everything, but now we have to move, the police is coming." He didn't tell her more and spun his wheelchair around, ready to depart. Olivia knew better than to trust these strangers but what could she do with cops hot on her heels?


	4. One surprise after another

"Come on," the new voice insisted from behind her and someone gently touched her shoulder. She flinched slightly, expecting the blue beast by her side but instead, there stood a perfectly normal guy. Even handsome, she noted, his boyish look was cute. But she would never admit it out loud.

The bald man's lip curled upwards, the gesture going unnoticed by the two. He knew what was happening in her head but he brushed it aside, not wanting to interfere and scare her off since she was finally willing to go with them.

Olivia sighed but complied. Now that he was normal, her fear subsided. They all hurried to the car parked not so far away. The bald man easily got inside, this was apparently nothing new to him. The beast-turning guy went to the front to take the role of a driver while she got in the back. She felt more comfortable sitting next to an old disabled man than a beast.

Police didn't cause any problems and they were safely driving through New York. She still had no idea about their destination but there was no trepidation. It was as if kindness flew from the man to her left and she felt calmer and calmer.

The said man suddenly broke a silence with a question: "Can you tell me what really happened?"

His voice wasn't angry or accusing but she still found herself being defensive.

"He was the first to attack," she exclaimed and hoped for a better reaction than the Marge's.

"What do you mean?" He frowned in confusion. He didn't believe her. This was it.

"I mean exactly what I've said," she snapped. It didn't matter if he trusted her or not, it was simply the truth. "That perverted imbecile," she added angrily, aiming her hatred towards her boss.

The realization dawned on Xavier and he was about to say something, make her feel better, but she was already staring out of window. He sensed that she was a troubled soul and he really wanted to help her. Gaining her trust would be a nice start. The plan was slowly forming in his head but Hank was first to react to her statement which implied that Bradshaw tried to take advantage of her.

"Are you alright?"

She focused back to reality and her eyes met the guy's who spoke up in a rearview mirror. He sounded genuinely concerned. She noticed how he oddly looked her up and down and she couldn't stop the irritated retort: "Apparently."

The guy on the wheelchair glanced from her to the guy, he was quite amused and as if he could read her mind, he explained the other guy's reasons for that weird once-over.

"Hank here, is a doctor." It was obviously the man's voice but he didn't open his mouth. Olivia straightened in her seat, alerted.

"What did you just do?" She knew she wasn't just imagining things.

"I'm a mutant same as you and Hank. You can manipulate pain and I am telepath. We are different but as mutants we have to stand with each other and help our kind." He wasn't finished with his speech when Olivia stepped in.

"Wait, I know you! You are that guy who runs a mutant school! I've seen you in news."

"Yes, that is indeed true. I am Charles Xavier. I have established the school for young mutants who needed my help because society refused to aid them. When I see a mutant in problems, like you, and it is in my power to help, I can't just let it go. That's also the reason why we met and I apologize that our encounter got a bit out of hand. That was not our intention."

"I see," she hesitated. "So what do you suggest I do? I can't go home because of police or anywhere else for that matter. I don't know if you noticed but my face is all over the news and they dare say that I am a criminal! I was just defending myself, I didn't even want to use it but he gave me no other choice!" She was shouting by now.

"God, this is so frustrating!" She finally lowered her voice. Her hands were clutching her head. She was in a really screwed up situation.

"I promise you will be safe in my school for the time being. I will call some people and see what I can do." There it was again. The calmness and kindness radiating off of him. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't talk about trust yet. He didn't harm her in any way, well, not intentionally and his offer was genuine. She couldn't think of any solution to her problems so she nodded her approval. She would go to that school, let him help her and then she would return to her life. That was it.

He sent her a smile and the rest of the way was spent in a silence.

Xavier watched her awed expression as they entered his estate. He was truly proud of some things he had accomplished in his life, but the Xavier's school for gifted youngsters was his greatest achievement. However bad and unwelcoming society was, this was place where every mutant child could find happiness and reach their full potential.

"Welcome to my school," he said with a smile as Hank parked the car right by the entrance.

"I will leave you now since I have to meet with someone regarding your case. Hank will show you to your room and surely assist you with all you need," Xavier said before making his way towards his office, where Warren Worthington was already awaiting his arrival since he reached him mentally not so long ago.

Olivia watched the man leave and glanced at Hank who stood next to her. None of them wanted to strike a conversation first but the silence was getting awkward with every passing second.

Hank sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I guess we weren't properly introduced. Hank McCoy."

He cautiously outstretched his hand, as if awaiting another wave of pain. She was as reluctant as him, taking his hand only after she found no traces of claws or blue.

"Olivia Tanner." He looked at her arm, his eyes growing bigger.

"You're bleeding!"

"Oh," she only now spotted the red gash on her forearm. "It's nothing."

"Nonsense, come with me." He turned around to walk inside but she wasn't following. Instead she was being stubborn.

"I'm okay, really, it's just a scratch," she insisted.

"Don't do that, please. I am the doctor here and that clearly needs to be cleaned," he explained calmly.

Olivia was left wordless, there was no arguing with his last point.

"Okay," she sighed defeated.

Once in small infirmary, Olivia sat on a hospital bed, waiting for him to find necessary supplies.

The area for patients was clean and white, looking like a real hospital but when she glanced where he disappeared, not so much. The office desk was stuffed with papers. It didn't look messy but full as if he didn't have enough space.

He returned with a tray of bandages and asked her to strip off her jacket. She remembered that in a rush she forgot to wear a T-shirt underneath so she carefully rolled up her sleeve instead. He gave her a questionig look and she shrugged. No way she was going to be left in her bra only.

He let it go and took a spray bottle from tray. He held her hand tighter and she was about to complain when he sprayed the stinging substance to her wound. She hissed in pain and jerked her hand away, but fortunately he was holding it strong enough.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

"Don't apologize if it's not your fault," she retorted. She didn't understand why he would. He was just treating her cut, there was nothing to be sorry about.

"I meant that I am sorry for the cut, I guess I must have accidently done it earlier," he repeated with a proper reason this time.

"Ah, then, I should apologize, too. But you have to understand that you don't... well, you don't look very hospitable," she admitted. If he was there in his human form, it would end up differently. And her phobia of animals, especially of big furry ones, didn't help either.

Some emotion flashed in his eyes but she couldn't tell what he was feeling. He didn't speak up and instead nodded his head in understanding and continued bandaging her hand.

Together, they moved to another part of the big mansion, Hank explained that these were the living quarters for teachers and any other adults who didn't study there. He didn't say more and left, she didn't want to make friends anyway.

It was only her and the empty room now. There was a bed, night stand, wardrobe and door which likely led to bathroom. It was plain but it would do for now.

She laid on the bed, staring up to ceiling. Olivia had enough time to think everything through.

Just earlier today, she could have been raped. If she wasn't mutant, she would be in so much worse state. She barely stood her ground against him and he managed to strip her of her blouse just before she decided it was time to act. She would be in hospital now. How would she live with that? No friends to support her, her mother was long gone...

She pushed the scary thought away. There was no reason to think about what could have happened. No, she needed to focus on what was really happening. Was she a fugitive now? The idea was funny and she found herself laughing. Things like that were never a part of her life. She was normal, as much as a mutant can be.

She would swallow her pride and wait for Xavier's help. It was hard to be so depended on someone. She was always alone if she didn't count her parents. If she wanted something, she had to work for it and now there was nothing she could do.

So she came to a conclusion. Wait and accept help, then thank him. Hopefully he wouldn't expect anything in return because she had nothing to offer.

And as soon as this was over, she would disappear from their lives, probably move far away, somewhere where no one knew she was a mutant.

Olivia was dozing off when a knock on the door woke her up and made her concentrate back to reality. She quickly got up, combed her hair with her fingers and opened the door.

"Hello Miss Tanner, I have some good news for you," Charles Xavier greeted her with smile.

"Would you like to come in?" she offered awkwardly. It was weird to talk in the hallway, although she couldn't exactly serve him a tea. But he seemed to understand her attempt of hospitability and smiled while making his way inside the small room.

She seated herself on the bed, facing him directly. Olivia's eyebrows rose, motioning him to tell the news since she was ready to listen.

"Mr. Bradshaw dropped the charges and turned himself in. Since it didn't come as far as he attempted, it will be considered simply as an assault and he will likely have to pay a fine, if no go to prison for few years because of lying to police. As for you, Miss Tanner, you are no longer a wanted criminal and can return to your normal life, if you choose so, although my school is always open to a mutant in need," he finished and looked at her expectantly. She could only nod.

So that bastard might get away with it so easily. Only pay and that's it? She knew he didn't rape her but it was purely luck and coincidence that he stumbled upon a mutant. What if he decided to do it again? But of course, she was helpless again. She would have to make a statement at a police station and wait for it to calm down. Then she would return to her daily life.

"Does that mean that I can return to my home, and work?"

"Yes, of course my dear. I can arrange a drive for you instantly, and do not worry, Mr. Bradshaw decided to leave his position in a firm quietly."

"Thank you, I sincerely appreciate your help and no offence, but I would like to leave now," she hesitated with the end of her answer. True, her gratitude was enormous but there was no need to stay here. The place was beautiful but she wasn't a child anymore and she didn't feel like she could belong to a school full of people.

He looked to sadden a bit and left her wonder if he could read her thoughts right now, he probably could, but decided not to comment them. His eyes grew a bit distant and she found herself pondering if he had some telepathic conversation.

Her thoughts turned out to be right when he announced that the car was waiting outside. They exited the room together and he led the way out. She was thankful for his foresight because she doubted her ability to get out of this maze like place alone.

For a second she was sure Hank was gonna drive her home, but it was just a guy with a similar hair. Once he turned around to face her it was apparent it couldn't be Hank. The guy looked like he was barely an adult and he introduced himself as Dave.

Olivia said her goodbye to Xavier and got in the car. The ride was silent and she didn't even mind it.

She felt strange in her flat, however comforting it was to be home after a long day, the huge contrast between the mansion and her flat amazed her. Not the size of the place but the atmosphere. Here, it seemed so dark. Maybe it was for the grey walls or for the lack of light. The mansion was so filled with life. Even while she was briefly passing through, she noticed the kids running around and teenagers sprawled on the sofas in big living room, chatting about nothing and everything. It made her remember her childhood and she had to force herself to stop the memories but now that she was alone, she had all the time.

Olivia got herself to the shower. The hot water felt so good that she had to remind herself to be careful with the bandage on her arm. All she wanted was to just stand there. But her early memories hit her again.

She was only eight when her hamster kept running away from her, at that time, she couldn't understand why. He always seemed to love her scratching him but it changed so suddenly. It took more bizarre incidents to alert her family. She was already ten years old when she sent pain to a human for a first time. It was by accident and it happened when her father was angry at her. She did something wrong, it was nothing big, she didn't even remember it but her father just flipped. It was a hard year for her family and her parents were so stressed out that he couldn't take it anymore. He was shaking her while she cried. She was so scared because she had never seen her daddy so angry and naturally, she felt the need to defend herself and then she did the unexplainable. Since that day, Olivia stopped going out, only to school and back home. She lacked friends and missed them a lot. Some of them were eager to keep talking to her but after a while, everyone simply adjusted. Her mother was diagnosed that year and spent a lot of time home. Together they used to watch movies, the old black and white ones. They had plenty of great time but it wasn't the same as having friends. And when her mother died, she was unable to continue, she grew apart from her father and they both grieved separately. It was hard but she managed and focused on her studies instead. Having a purpose kept her going.

She shuddered from the sudden coldness and noticed that she unintentionally turned the knob to the cold water. She stepped out of it and dried herself. Now that the rush of today's events was gone, the exhaustion took over her and she immediately went for her bed. She ignored that her hair was still wet and fell asleep almost as soon as she hit the soft pillows.

As she expected, her hair was a disaster when she woke up. It took her almost ten minutes to comb it and even then it was sticking into various directions so she decided to put it into a high ponytail. Her stomach made a loud unsatisfied sound and she remembered that she had nothing to eat for hours. She quickly made herself a sandwich and hurried to work.

She received a lot of weird looks but that didn't surprise her. What really made her mouth fall was her new boss. His assistant was polite enough to recommend her to come as soon as possible. Olivia luckily caught herself before insulting the woman in any way. There was no reason to cause any more problems, she had a fair share of them yesterday and it could stay that way, she wouldn't object.

She entered her new boss's office with her hopes up. Being summoned here shortly after that incident wasn't necessarily a bad news. Maybe, just maybe, he was going to apologize in the name of the whole firm. Staying positive was not a bad thing.

The man was small with a big belly. He had glasses with a thick black frames, her first impression was a friendly guy. But she soon noticed how nervous he was. He kept staring somewhere behind her, not meeting her gaze just yet.

"Good morning," she began the conversation.

"Oh, miss Tanner, I'm glad you came so soon. I have some news, better get it over with," he probably intended to leave that last sentence to himself.

She watched him with her mouth wide open as he told her the 'great' news. She was fired. What she feared finally happened. Her being mutant was affecting her life once again. As if living by herself, in solitude, wasn't enough. He kept apologizing when she tried to reason with him but to no avail. It was a decision which came from higher places, he explained.

So she simply walked away, no reason to stay and listen to the man, saying how sorry he was but he couldn't do anything. And neither could she.

Olivia kept her face blank and hurried to the restroom. She made sure there was no one in and began crying. She didn't do that often but this whole thing was so overwhelming and frustrating. She just couldn't hold it inside anymore.

All the faces appeared in her mind. Everyone in the office couldn't stop staring. They all knew it, they heard the news. Some of them were afraid of her, they could only guess what she could do. Others looked at her with a pity, she lost her job and they at least understood that it was not really her fault. She couldn't change how she was born. If she could, trust me, she would have done that already.

All the Bradshaw's threats were real and he didn't even realize that. She exposed herself because of him and now, everything she worked for so hard during her life, was breaking. He caused it.

There were no more tears, only sadness which was slowly getting swallowed in anger. Yes, she was pissed off. At Bradshaw, Worthingtons, that mean old assistant, all her coworkers, even herself. Olivia managed to compose herself. She wiped the tears and her ruined makeup, calmed her red eyes with cold water and mentally braced herself. She would have to walk by all of them again in order to collect her things. With a deep breath, she left the restroom.

She did all she could to avoid their eyes and stares. Her face hardened and she kept her head high. Even while putting everything in a small box. Her life was pathetic, all her belongings easily fitted into the box. There was even some space left. She had only one family photo, which was years old. How laughable.

She could do this, just held her head up like there was nothing wrong. But however hard she tried, the box in her hands and her red eyes was something she couldn't hide.

'Just a few more corridors,' she kept reminding herself.

Suddenly, someone appeared in the front of the long hall. She couldn't recognize him just yet but as he was just inches away, her mind told her that she knew this guy and as she looked closer, she knew from where. This was one of the Worthingtons, she didn't remember his first name, but she knew it was him. She saw him in numerous news and even at the annual parties.

"Dick," she muttered when he passed her. 'From the higher places, huh?' The son of the owner was possibly one of that hatred filled people.

She didn't expect him to stop in his tracks and turn around to her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked shocked.

She turned to face him with a deadly glare. The anger was boiling inside her dangerously.

"Well, since you are asking, yes. Firing absolutely competent person just for being mutant! How fucking nice!" she accused honestly and as calm as possible, but the sarcasm dripping from her statement was obvious.

She left him there, standing in an utter confusion. She stormed off without meeting anyone else. Sadly, at the time, Olivia had no idea that it had been Warren who so kindly helped her. Bradshaw's leaving was arranged more by him than by Xavier. And of course, he had no saying in hiring and firing employees, so it was not his doing that she was now jobless. As a mutant himself, he would never do such a thing.

She calmed down enough after a warm tea back in her flat. She was curled up in her sofa with a thick blanket keeping her warm. She had a lot of scary thoughts running in her head. They weren't scary in a way that you might think. Being mugged or face to face with a beast was something else. But this kind of scary? She lost a job, she couldn't go to her father's after what happened there the last time. She would run out of money for rent soon. She would become homeless.

Her phone rang and Olivia, engulfed in her thoughts, picked up without looking at the caller's ID.

"Yes?" she said automatically.

"I heard you need a hand," the voice she didn't expect to hear ever again announced.


	5. Welcome to Illinois

"How do you know everything?" she asked amazed. She immediately recognized the caller to be none other than Charles Xavier. She was beginning to think he was reading her mind or something. There was no way he could know it all.

"I happen to have some contacts. This time, it was Mr. Worthington who informed me of your misfortune," he admitted over the phone. Olivia tensed at the mention of his name. She wasn't sure which Worthington he meant, but it didn't really matter.

"What are you trying to say? I was fired and you can't possibly do anything about it," she snapped. Olivia didn't intend to be so harsh but he didn't have to call her to remind her that she was unemployed.

"That is true, as much as Mr. Worthington is sad for the decisions made in his firm, he can't do anything since he isn't the one to cause it and neither can I. But I am calling you to offer my help once again. I could arrange some work for you, here in my school, if you wish to." He finally got to the point and she wasn't satisfied one bit. It explained why the young Worthington was so confused when she stormed out, so Xavier was undoubtedly talking about him. But what she didn't like was Xavier trying to solve her problems. Again. She was an adult, there were a lot of issues and she got through them, this was not different. She didn't need a stranger messing up her life, no matter how good his intentions were. She found herself refusing his offer.

She wasn't qualified enough to teach and she hadn't liked kids all that much. Her lack of social life wouldn't help her with dealing with teenagers. She wasn't even a good cook and cleaning wasn't one of her talents either. If he meant any of those jobs, she was unable to perform them whatsoever. Olivia was an accountant. Economy was something she was good at, and she was sure she wouldn't be able to teach even that.

She ended the phone call after he had left the offer open. There was no more left to say.

The following week was quite hard. She couldn't find any suitable work and her father kept calling her. It was only Wednesday and she'd already received three phone calls. It was time to pay him a visit or at least call in advance so she wouldn't meet Marge. The idea itself was terrible.

She texted him and got a reply almost immediately. Olivia would go to her old house and he would make sure that Marge wouldn't be there, though he sounded hurt that she didn't get along with his girlfriend. But who could blame her after their last encounter?

When Olivia was approaching the main door, it opened to reveal Marge, hurrying out of the house. She stopped dead in her tracks with a fear in her eyes and Olivia couldn't stop the glare from forming.

"Just don't call the cops again," Olivia retorted sarcastically and sidestepped her. Marge was still staring at her with a fazed expression.

As she made a move to close the door behind her, Marge came to her senses and yelled 'wait!'

Olivia rolled her eyes in irritation but faced the woman, waiting for some kind of pathetic excuse. She couldn't understand why Marge called the police because it was her on the other side of the law. But if the sides were to switch, she would probably do the same. Though she wasn't ready to admit and accept the simple fact. It wasn't Marge's fault that the basic instinct in human nature was to do anything for the survival.

"I know what I did was wrong, but I can't change it and I am so sorry," she sobbed. "Just give me one more chance, me and your father, we are..."

"I don't want to listen to it right now, Margaret," Olivia interrupted mercilessly. She didn't want to hear how happy they were together. Their first meeting was a total disaster but with time, maybe she would be able to let go and talk to Marge without feeling so irritated. She would give her a second shot eventually but right now, the things were too raw.

"We'll talk later," she added when she saw the pleading look in the other woman's eyes.

Marge only nodded morosely and took her leave.

When she got inside, her father took in her bitter look and figured she had met with Marge.

"Look, Livy, I understand that she isn't mum but can you at least try being civil. For my sake?" That much for greetings, she pondered silently. Straight to the point.

"I need some time to process it first," she admitted. She didn't like Marge but her father apparently did. She wouldn't judge him for his own decisions. She would have to cope with it somehow.

"Alright honey," he smiled sadly. "Tell me, how are you? And I don't want to hear that 'I'm fine' crap."

She raised her eyebrows at his language but didn't say anything for that matter. He was still her dad and as much as they grew apart, he still knew her perfectly. And she desperately needed someone who would listen so why not her dad, who stayed with her all this time?

She told him everything but left out some details on purpose, he didn't need to know that much about Bradshaw or her small breakdown in restroom.

"I'm really sorry Livy, but if Marge knew the whole story she would have never called them. Okay, okay, you need time, you said that already," he stopped her when she was opening her mouth to retort to the Marge topic again.

"What are you gonna do now? Have you already looked for a new job?"

"Yeah, but I found nothing unless I wanna be a waitress, but you know that I am not good with people," she sighed heavily. It was harder than she remembered. She found a great position in Worthington Industries right after she got her diploma. She was lucky back then.

"I think I can make a call, one man from neighborhood has a brother who..." Not this again, she face palmed mentally but didn't have enough energy to stop her father. She might as well listen since she refused Xavier's offer and found nothing else. Maybe, he would surprise her.

"... owns a smaller company. They provide some economy services if I remember correctly. And there wouldn't be any problems. You see, the guy's nephew or cousin is, well... a mutant," he finished awkwardly. He accepted her mutation but the topic was basically taboo in their family. She talked about it just with her mum but neither of them understood it so the conversations were only occasional.

She was considering his suggestion in silence. The mutant thing would be a huge plus and smaller company meant less people. Even the purpose of it seemed fitting. It sounded almost perfect, so there must be a catch.

"I need to know more, like location, names, basic stuff," Olivia said matter-of-factly.

Frederick didn't await such an answer but it came as a great relief. His daughter hardly ever accepted someone's help and he was profoundly glad that she was finally letting people in. He had the gut feeling that it didn't matter if he was the first as long as he wasn't the last one. And if she seemed interested, Frederick couldn't help but beam in his seat as he began to explain further.

"Well, I don't know his full name so I'll give Marvin a call and ask. It won't take long but..." he got a bit uneasy, hesitant to continue.

"Dad, just spill it." Olivia rolled her eyes. There was no good in delaying. This wasn't a frigging TV show.

"It's in Illinois," he revealed sheepishly, not meeting her eyes directly.

"What the hell dad? That's like the first thing you should have mentioned!" She threw her hands in the air.

"That's about eight hundred fucking miles!" She still didn't lower her voice and Frederick cringed at her poor choice of words.

"Oh! C'mon! It's just across few states," he attempted to defend himself but she wouldn't allow him to.

"I'd have to move, have so many things arranged and, and..." Her thoughts being frantic as she seriously considered it.

"Let's calm down, okay. You have a plenty of time."

Olivia got a hold of herself and focused on her current situation. She would be far away from home if anything happened. Moving to a new place was inevitable and she didn't even had enough energy to think about all the paper work, insurance...

Later that day, they went to a local restaurant for a dinner and her father promised to give a call to his acquaintance the first thing in the morning. Then he drove her all the way back to her apartment and left.

She managed to do so much in a last few days. She learned all she needed about the position and the name of her new boss which was Elias Fields. They both agreed that after she'd send him her resume, they would move on to an online interview. Mr. Fields was such a kind man and even when she asked him to keep her mutation a secret he pledged not to say a word. He considered it a personal thing and complied with her wishes without further ado.

Olivia was now hired and expected in her new work in a week and half. She even conveniently found an old house which was for sale for a long time. When she called the owner, he sounded delighted as if a huge burden was lifted off of his shoulders. They talked about all the terms and money. It wasn't expensive, in a safe neighbourhood, close to the company she was going to work for. It had a lot of perks and a minimum of negatives. She'd have to pay a huge amount for the transport of her furniture since the house was equipped with only kitchen and bathroom.

She was going early to bed because tomorrow would be a hard day. The bus going to Illinois, the one she decided to take would arrive at 5 o'clock and she had to be fresh. The ride was about twelve hours long. She could go by plane but buses were cheaper and she'd spent enough already. She'd live it trough.

Before she fell asleep, she left her mind wander to her future. This was a new start. New house, new work, new people. It was far away from New York and all that mutant drama. No more blue beasts or saints like Xavier.

Her whole body was sore when she finally got off the bus. The ride was worse than she thought and she constantly found herself wishing to spend those damn fifty dollars more on a plane ticket. She stretched herself and took her backpack while trying to catch a cab on a bus station. There was no way she was going to spend another minute in a bus that day.

The house looked same as in the pictures. It was one of those classic American houses. With a porch, white fences and everything. There were some bushes that desperately needed water and an old mail box with a fading name on it. She smiled to herself, with some minor repairs, this place would look really nice and she was already looking forward to calling it home.

Olivia ate something and set up her sleeping bag. Her furniture wouldn't come until tomorrow. It was only seven in the afternoon but she was exhausted and ready to call it a night. Although she didn't have chance to because of a sudden knock on her new door.

Olivia was greeted by an older couple with smiles playing on their lips. She politely returned the smile and waited for them to speak.

She didn't have to wait long since the lady quickly broke the silence: "Nice to meet you, I'm Edna and this is my husband Norton, we live over there." She motioned to the man next to her, who gave a small wave, and then to a neighboring house on her left side.

Olivia curtly nodded but made no move to shake their hands. She wanted to avoid any accidents with her mutation this early in her new beginning.

"I'm Olivia" Edna wasn't fazed by her careful approach and instead kept talking.

"Such a sweet name! We just stopped by to welcome you and invite you for some pie and tea. I bake every weekend and people say it's delicious." She winked with a grin and Olivia couldn't possibly refuse such a nice gesture. Getting to know some people couldn't hurt anyone and this couple seemed pretty nice.

They exchanged few more words and parted their ways.

For the rest of the week, Olivia was arranging her furniture and decorating the lack of things she had. It wasn't exactly easy but she managed to make the place tolerable and decided to repaint the walls as soon as she had some spare time.

Monday and also her first day of work was rapidly approaching. She was getting more and more anxious with every passing second. She had to keep reminding herself that no one knew her here and that it was a good thing.

Everything ran smoothly since she'd arrived, with spare fifteen minutes. Mr. Fields was impressed by her punctuality and they talked for a while. He gave her some necessary papers which needed to be filled and answered all her questions about work. Then, he walked out of his office to an area with six cube desks with her trailing behind his back. Only one desk was empty so she figured that one was about to be hers.

She finally noticed the five people who were currently present, few of them giving her strange looks. They didn't await a new colleague so early after Rita retired.

Olivia held her hands behind her back and glanced at her new boss expectantly. He seemed to understand what she was silently thinking.

"Some attention guys!" he required loudly. Everyone dropped what they were doing except for a tall guy with glasses who carried on with typing something furiously on his computer.

"Daryl!" he insisted and put his hands on his hips in an annoyed manner.

"I'm listening, I'm listening," he yelled back and turned his body to face the boss, his face remaining on the computer screen until he dramatically typed the full stop and then smiled broadly at them.

"Where on Earth is Dorn?" Mr. Fields asked exasperatedly. When he hoped to finally introduce her, someone was missing.

"Whatever, you'll tell him later. So this is Olivia Tanner, your new coworker. Miss Tanner, that guy over there is Daryl O'Hara," he pointed at the man with glasses who worked so keenly just a moment ago. He waved at her and she smiled back sheepishly. He was very handsome but she didn't plan on having relationship any time soon.

"I'm Amy, nice to meet you," said the likeable redhead standing by the door. She immediately moved to hug Olivia but she backed away startled. Luckily, Amy just brushed it off with 'not a hugger' and a small laugh.

"That's our bright Amy Clark, next to the printer is Mary Donnald." There, in the corner, indeed stood an older lady. She gently smiled at her and waited for her documents to print. Her grey hair and kind demeanor made her quite appealing.

There was still one more woman left in the room. She had a darker complexion and looked just a few years older than Olivia and Amy. She would guess her to be about thirty years old.

"Last but not least, this is Laura Railey." The mentioned woman only nodded uncertainly. She was probably shy and didn't know if the nod was enough or if she should smile just like her colleagues.

Olivia turned back to Mr. Fields who explained that one man was not present here, likely at the restroom or storage on the upper floor. He said his name was Marcus Dorn and besides him there was only a security guard Bill and a cleaning lady. She didn't remember half of the names already.

It was time for the lunch break just as they finished the short tour of the building. He left her in a room which looked like a mix of kitchen and living room. It wasn't what she was used to in Worthington Industries but it seemed quite homey. There was a fridge, microwave and counters with a sink in the corner with a few shelves above. Older coffee maker was there as well, judging by its stale look, it was frequently used and these people were in need of a new one. There were two round tables with seven chairs and on the other side of the room were a worn-out sofa and two recliners of a different type, color and pattern. There was a small coffee table in between them. Laying on top of it were stacks of papers, some magazines and two cups.

She was filling a glass with water, the one she found in one of the shelves and overheard a conversation of three incoming people. She could tell it was Amy and that handsome guy by their voices but there was one older sounding male voice, which she had never heard before.

"... Tanner. She seems nice but a bit shy, though. Guess we have another Laura here," the handsome said. It wasn't a big surprise they were talking about her. Who wouldn't?

She turned the tap to stop the water before it overflew and looked at them as they entered.

Olivia was right to assume that it was them. With them came a big masculine middle aged man with a well-kept, slightly grayish beard. She slowly sipped the cold water, about to introduce herself but Amy beat her to that.

"Oh, this is Olivia, who I told..." Amy didn't finish her thought because angry faced Marcus rudely interrupted.

"I know you! You are that mutant criminal who was wreaking havoc in New York few weeks ago!"

  
  
  



	6. Arrangement

Olivia was staring at him with her eyes wide open, unable to utter a single word. Everything was going so smooth and then this happened. How did he even recognize her? It was only one day and two weeks were a long time.

When Olivia woke up from a shock, the handsome guy was already talking.

"Is that for real?" It sounded like a rhetorical question. He wasn't even maintaining an eye contact with anyone. It was as if he couldn't believe he met an alleged criminal, as if things like that happened only in movies.

Amy was taking a similar stance. "Never met a mutant before," she murmured, her eyes filled with childish curiosity.

None of them was scared and Olivia found herself thanking all the saints. Frankly, she expected them to act more like Marcus.

"Don't you understand?" He began pacing angrily, never letting go of her gaze.

He stopped abruptly. "She could kill us all!"

Marcus' angry yelling finally got to the two and they snapped out of their thoughts. They were both looking at Olivia with an expectant eyes now, but not fazed by Marcus' comments in any way.

"That's not true," she defended herself.

Before any of them could react, Mr. Fields barged in. His expression tired. Similar fights occurred daily in the office and he was getting frustrated. Although arguments including mutants were new. It was usually for more trivial things like unmarked boxes in the fridge or who ate the last bagel.

Mr. Fields eyed Olivia first. He noticed her defensive stance, she had her arms crossed in front of herself and though she looked angry, he noted the faintest traces of fear. He knew of her past and the real story behind her work termination.

Secondly, he glanced over to Marcus, only to see the man furious. His red face was getting redder every second.

"What is all this ruckus?" he asked. The question was aimed for Amy since she looked as the most calmed one in the current situation. He couldn't believe it, she was usually the energetic one, always jumping to action or argument.

"How could you hire a criminal? And especially a mutant?" Marcus' face almost desperate and all formalities gone. In his pissed off state, Marcus let go off all the rational thinking. Screaming at his boss wasn't the best idea. Luckily, Mr. Fields was a very thoughtful and understanding man. He also believed that raised voices weren't necessary, good argument was quite enough.

"Calm yourself down Dorn, Olivia was falsely accused, she is well fitting for this job, even some impressive people provided references and I could go on," he tried to reason with Marcus. But it wasn't Mr. Fields who finally got some sense into him. It was the third guy's comment: "You're being racist man, not cool."

Marcus stared at the two guys who united against him. His eyes scanned everyone in room and he could tell they all blamed him. Of course he didn't mean to sound racist! Couldn't they all understand that he was just trying to protect them? Clearly not. But he warned them.

Olivia watched the conflict unfold ahead of her and she didn't even have a chance to speak up. The two men were defending her pretty nicely. Though she wasn't sure what Mr. Fields meant by those impressive references, she wasn't aware of any. She would have to ask him later if she remembered. She let it slide for now.

The all hell broke loose and they were all in a heated argument by the time Olivia concentrated back to what was happening around her. She managed to catch up with them. Not so surprisingly, they were talking about mutant and human rights and all the stuff around. She shook her head in disbelief. "Guys? I'm right here!" The silence followed immediately.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful after things settled down a bit. Olivia continued with her work, Marcus was sending her glares for the whole time. Amy was still trying to ease the tension, which slowly build up during the day. In the process, Olivia finally learned the handsome guy's name. It was Daryl and he was actually a gay. Dealing with him would be so much easier. It'd keep her from getting involved romantically because girl had to admit. Daryl seemed perfect. He had the looks, manners and brains. One man was going to be really lucky someday.

The whole week went fine if you exclude that minor hitch in the beginning. Though the mood in office was not ideal, she performed her work easily. Marcus didn't attempt to set things right and she successfully ignored him. They talked only business. No one dared to mention her mutation just yet or simply ask what kind of power she had. But Olivia noticed that during her conversations with Amy, the girl often seemed like she was about to ask that particular question but she never did.

Daryl and Amy were just like her childhood friends whom she abandoned back then. They were both trying to include her in their chats about weather, movies or weekend plans. She could sense that they tried not to pry but wanted to talk and get to know her nonetheless. But Olivia didn't talk much and Amy was keen on getting her to talk soon. The determination was shining clear in her eyes whenever Olivia approached her.

The oldest woman in the office, Mary, was always so polite and helpful. She kept sending her small smiles and provided any advice regarding work that Olivia needed while accommodating to new workplace. It was mostly with that goddamn printer.

Everyone was taking the mutant fact greatly apart from Marcus who had that annoyed look the whole week and Laura. The woman was so nervous, though she tried to hide it unsuccessfully. She always spilled something whenever Olivia came close but she covered it with 'being clumsy'. Other than that, the two women were on good terms, they politely greeted each other and Olivia ignored the obvious nervousness of the other one.

Weekends were her days off and now, Olivia was getting ready for the visit to her neighbors. Edna slipped a note through her door when she was at work. The note said that the pie would be done at three o'clock, Saturday.

She slipped on her favorite dark jeans and decided to go in a simple grey sweater. She didn't bother with make-up. She rarely did these past few days. In a week, she noticed that almost none of her coworkers dressed formally. Only Marcus wore suits. Olivia then decided that she wouldn't spend hours in uncomfortable skirts if she didn't have to, so her wardrobe quickly changed from elegant to more casual one. It was another thing which was completely different from Worthington Industries. And she liked it. It made her life so much easier.

Olivia stood at the neighbors' door just in time, waiting for someone to answer her ringing.

Norton invited her in and explained Edna's lack of presence. The older lady was in the garden with three more people from neighborhood.

Olivia entered and greeted everyone gingerly. She thought it would be only her and an older couple, instead there was a middle aged woman, introduced as Bethany with a small kid and another older lady with a walking stick. Olivia awkwardly sat there and mostly just listened to their conversation. They mentioned a lot of people and places she didn't know and she was often left confused and therefore she didn't engage in the talks. The pumpkin pie which Edna served her in a huge amount was as delicious as the lady promised. Olivia was full but she kept eating until the plate was empty.

Bethany soon excused herself and left because her child needed his nap and it was the right time. Edna packed her a piece of pie and Olivia just smiled at the pair before they left.

The other old woman, who everyone here called Granny, kept complaining about something in her garden. Olivia wasn't really interested in the topic but listened and nodded occasionally. There was nothing she could do with the pests or any other problem Granny had. She turned her attention to Olivia and started asking some very personal questions. Olivia was thinking hard how to answer without sounding harsh or revealing too much but Edna helped her out.

"Granny, shouldn't you be on your way to church already?" the woman inquired. It made Granny look at her watch intently. She then nodded her head and slowly stood up to leave. Olivia just smiled at Edna gratefully and the woman winked at her in return.

She was left in the garden alone for few minutes until Edna returned with two mugs and boiling water inside a kettle. She made them some chamomile tea.

"So how do you like it here in Dundee so far?" Edna asked kindly. She decided that slower approach would turn out to be more effective since Olivia was so closed up. So Edna let her talk about whatever she wanted. The question was open to any topic. Olivia could lead the conversation to work, people or maybe her new house.

She chose the last option and admitted that she considered repainting her living room and bedroom.

Somehow it reminded Edna of her son and Olivia didn't interrupt her since she found her monologue quite interesting and she was also happy that the questions weren't aimed at her anymore.

"Our son, Henry, he is quite skilled and really smart, let me tell you, he even graduated so young! He is also so good looking but what I don't understand is no wife, or girlfriend. He is 29 already, that's the right time to settle down, if not late! I want at least one grandchild. There is nothing wrong about that!" She let out a long angry sigh and glanced back at Olivia. As if she just remembered something, Edna leaned closer and put her elbows on the table.

"What I meant to say," she began. "He'll gladly help with the painting, I'm sure. He is such a sweet soul, that my boy. And he hasn't visited in a while."

Olivia wondered what this Henry was really like. According to Edna he was perfect. Handsome, smart and kind but she was his mother so Olivia couldn't hold her opinion high. Parents tended to think the best of their children and it wasn't necessarily the truth.

But once again, Olivia surprised even herself with agreeing. She wasn't stupid or extremely stubborn and she could acknowledge the fact that painting walls was not her strong side. She wanted to watch some youtube tutorials beforehand. So accepting this offer was reasonable.

Olivia didn't notice it but she was slowly changing. She was slowly getting used to people helping her, maybe it was because everyone here was so nice, she didn't know. If she was still in New York and it was few weeks ago, if anyone offered a help she would look at them suspiciously and wait for them to ask something in return. Maybe even Xavier's offer wouldn't sound so bad. But she was secretly thankful that she declined. It turned out that moving was a great choice. Now she had a nice job with mostly good coworkers and she was satisfied with her position. Working for Xavier would be, frankly, not what she enjoyed. As weird as it might sound, she actually liked accounting and what Xavier offered would never suit her.

Olivia patiently waited for Edna to pack her a piece of the tasty pie. Edna handed her the white box and said: "I'll give Henry a call right away."

"Are you sure? I don't wanna be a burden if he has a work..." Olivia asked, hesitating for a moment.

"Nonsense!" Edna interrupted with a grin. "He works with a friend of his, so his schedule can be bend easily."

Olivia smiled back and with many thanks, left.


	7. Caution - blue

Hank had been reading some essays about dangerous chemicals when his phone started to ring loudly. It took him a few seconds to locate it under the huge amount of papers on his desk. He thought the caller might hang up. Hank quickly put it to his ear and was surprised by the voice of his mother.

"Hello?"

"Henry! You shouldn't be up so late!" He checked his watch and it was quite a late hour. Nothing unusual for him to be caught up in work without knowing the actual time and then realizing he should be sleeping already.

"I know mum, but then I wouldn't be able to answer you," Hank pointed out the obvious. He could almost feel Edna rolling her eyes. It wasn't his intention be a smartass but he couldn't resist it sometimes.

"Okay, okay," she sighed but knowing Hank, she went straight to the point. "One girl finally bought that house on the side and well, she needs a help with painting so I..."

"C'mon mum. Don't tell me you already offered me. You know that I started teaching and with my research I'm quite busy," he interrupted her. He immediately figured where the conversation was leading and there was no need for her to explain more.

"Henry, I've already promised her that you'll come," Edna was getting slightly irritated with his lack of obedience.

"Firstly mum, please just drop the Henry thing and start calling me Hank like everyone else and look, I have so many tests to grade and I'm not even talking about all the essays and..." he trailed off.

"Henry Philip McCoy! Stop it right there! So firstly," she used his wording against him. "Hank is not the name I've given you and how can you turn your back to a girl in need? I brought you up better than that!"

He knew he lost the fight as soon as she used his full name. Edna did so only when he was in trouble. And no matter how many intelligent and reasonable remarks he could come up with, she would stand her ground.

"But the kids..." he tried for the last time, though his failure was something he came to terms with already. But trying was always better than doing nothing. As a scientist he was quite aware of that.

"Oh, shut it. You will visit next weekend and that's final." She completely ignored that he was an adult, competent to make his own decisions.

"Alright, I guess I could be there by Saturday morning," he pondered out loud.

"Wonderful, I'll make you your favorite spaghetti," she beamed, satisfied with her small victory.

Hank smiled at the idea of the delicious food and let his mother enjoy her successful persuasion.

"Okay, see you in a week mum."

"Love you dear and go to bed already!" She added with a goodbye.

Hank sighed deeply after he put his phone down. His mother didn't mention the name or age of this woman but it was clear she must be around his and Edna would try to get them to date. It wouldn't be the first time it happened and he hoped she would not turn out to be a disaster as the previous woman. That one had some serious issues. He was sure that if he said it directly, Edna would never admit that she was being a match maker but it was apparent. If the neighbor needed the help so desperately, his father could easily do it and Hank didn't have to drag himself through hours of driving and neglecting the stock of papers which was already high enough. He rubbed his eyes, he was exhausted but now, he wanted to finish most of the essays before his trip. He would just have to give less homework this week. His students were going to jump in joy at the news. And he would also need to tell Charles but the man would let him go and offer him even a longer holiday for sure. He would leave right after his last class on Friday and then return by Monday evening. That way he would have enough time to paint, spend some time with his parents and he would be back in perfect time. He would get enough sleep before Tuesday classes though his lectures would have to be improvised. But he would manage.

It was only a day after Olivia's visit to her neighbor when she found Edna by her door again. She explained that she just stopped by to inform her of new information regarding the painting. Her son would come next weekend and that after he would have enough time to rest after a long car drive, he would come to assist her. Olivia only nodded before Edna ran off because she was currently cooking something and didn't want her kitchen to become hot mess, quite literally.

Olivia was freaking out and it was barely the middle of the week. She couldn't stop the negative thoughts from forming. Did she buy everything necessary? Were her calculations correct and she had enough paint? Would she have enough time to pack all the boxes?

She always calmed herself down by thinking that he was a nice person. Really, how bad could he be compared to Bradshaw, Marcus or the beast-like-actually-cute doctor? Olivia wasn't one to just instantly trust strangers but Edna assured her that he was basically a honey. However, she couldn't get rid of the bad feeling, settled deep inside.

When the Saturday came she wasn't prepared. Olivia was so anxious that she couldn't sleep and woke up at barely six o'clock. She decided to occupy herself with work. She started with packing and covering furniture in the two rooms which were about to be painted and moved to the kitchen.

Lunch time was nearing and she was about to cook spaghetti. She always liked the dish and her mother had a great recipe for a sauce which she learned from her. Olivia bought all the needed groceries and was putting them in the counter when she heard a knock on her front door. She didn't expect the man to come so soon. Olivia reckoned he would be here at about three p.m. or so since Edna said he wanted to rest after his arrival.

She mentally prepared herself. She pondered if she should put up a smile to appear more grateful for the help. It was probably a right thing to do.

She forced her lips to create a small smile while her hand went for a knob.

The color from her face drained when she saw who it was. She couldn't believe who was her guest. However scared she was of him, she couldn't stop the anger. "How the hell did you find me?!"

Hank McCoy was standing at her porch, looking as shocked as she was, though her anger covered the other feeling.

Although she had asked, the answer wasn't expected, it was sort of rhetorical question, an outburst of anger. She doubted she would like to know. Xavier did this. It had to be him and that creepy mind controlling stuff. Could he read her thoughts from such a distance? She felt a small voice in her head saying yes but she mixed it with her other current ideas which were floating in her head frantically.

Olivia didn't want to talk, see or associate with this particular man any further so she did the only thing reasonable in that moment and slammed the door shut right in front of his face.

When Hank saw Olivia Tanner opening door with a smile, he couldn't be more surprised. It dawned on him that he had never actually asked for the name of his parents' neighbor and Edna didn't provide the information. He was in a rush to finish all the grading that this simple fact didn't faze him and he completely forgot to ask.

After she slammed the door, Olivia leaned with her back to it and tried to find some sense in her thoughts. And it all clicked. Hank was short for Henry and she had never learned Edna and Norton's surname. Edna said her son was smart, and he was a doctor. She said he was good looking, and Olivia could admit that. But he was far from perfect. He could turn into a dangerous beast. She pondered if his parents knew about it. Would Edna be so proud of her son if she knew? And if they did know about him, did they know about her as well? The bad feeling she felt earlier was right.

Someone was knocking at her door. It wasn't violent or loud. It was just a gentle knocking, followed by "Can we talk?" She knew it was Hank but was hesitant to open. She saw the shock reflecting in his eyes upon seeing her here. He wasn't all blue and furry. She decided to peak through ajar door and when she made sure he indeed wasn't blue and furry, Olivia cautiously opened the door to their full size.

They talked a bit on her porch. Hank apologized and swore that he had no idea about it being her. And Olivia trusted his genuine look. They both agreed that after he spent twelve hours driving just to get here, that she would let him help with painting. Nothing changed about her not being able to do it by herself. There was also some silent agreement that they would try their best to act civil.

Hank was glad that she finally let him in. He really didn't want to spend time with his mother's constant questions related to his love life.

Olivia wasn't afraid of him anymore, at least not when he was in his human form, Hank thought so but he couldn't be sure. Maybe she just really needed help with this.

He was kind of surprised to see all the necessary brushes and paint bought. However what really got to him was the color she had chosen. She was going to use a darker shade of blue in her bedroom and it sort of reminded him of his own fur. He decided against commenting it. Pointing similarities with her picked color and his feral form wasn't the wisest decision. Hank wanted to be friendly and that would not impress her. More like scare her. And he honestly wanted to show her his true self, so she would stop thinking of him as the monster he was underneath. He was a kind man, with a sense of right and he would prove it to her. He would do anything she asked him to, to earn her trust.

Even though he wasn't same as Charles, he still felt the need to help people. No matter their race, but helping mutants was special because they were as if his family. And now, she was one of them and he wished that she would understand that he and Xavier and all of the others living in mansion were on her side. If she was about to find herself in any problem, all it took was a single call and they would be there.

Hank had taught her the right technique. She was a bit clumsy at first but he had an experience with teaching children and all it took was patience. She managed to get it right by the third time he showed her and together, it took them only few hours to finish her whole bedroom.

Olivia politely offered to prepare him dinner and he accepted when she mentioned spaghetti. He wasn't that keen on staying but she just had to make his favorite food that day. It didn't matter he had them for lunch, made by his mother. He could never get tired of it.

Later, they were seated in an appropriate distance and peacefully dining. He was a good guest and complimented her on the meal. It was indeed great. A bit different to what he was used to at home, but the unfamiliar sauce made it even tastier.

Hank used this calm moment to ask her something. He could tell that she wouldn't be happy about it but he couldn't stop his curious nature. He had to ask about her mutation or else his mind would never rest. He didn't get to learn more about it the last time they had met and he actually thought about it quite often. He was 'lucky' to experience it first hand and it didn't ease his curiosity a single bit. On the contrary, it only added to the reasons why he wanted to examine the interesting power. After all, he was a scientist. Hopefully Hank wouldn't be thrown out of her house.

"I'd like to ask you something. But if you consider it too personal, you don't have to answer," Hank approached the topic slowly.

"Shoot," she answered without sparing him a glance.

He took a deep breath and got it out: "I want to know about your mutation."

Olivia wanted to snap at him angrily but the way he acted all day stopped her. She could tell that he was being extra nice the whole evening and she enjoyed his company more than she would admit to herself or anyone for that matter. And she found herself wanting to learn more about it. Hank was constantly surrounded by mutants and he was one himself. He was also a doctor and it was highly possible that he would know more than Olivia and her mother. She didn't know if she was prepared to trust him to that level just yet but there might be a possibility that they would never meet again. Quite frankly, confessing to anybody would feel so good but there was no one who could relate, maybe he was different and she decided to give it a try.

"All I know is that I can transfer pain. It works on anything living as far as I can tell and it has to be through touch. Not skin to skin necessarily. It works through fabrics but no metal, wood and stuff. The worst thing is that I can't always control it."

Hank proceeded to ask her few more questions but she couldn't answer any of them. She could provide little to no information regarding her power. He told her that if she was ever returning to New York, even for a short visit, he would love to do some small tests. He assured her it was nothing painful. She agreed but doubted that she would ever come.

He left not so long after they finished the food. Olivia was now sitting on her couch where she would sleep until the paint in her bedroom dried. She was glad that she got it all out. Another person knowing her secret wasn't that bad. It was unlike the time when Bradshaw learned it, or Marcus. Hank wasn't afraid or hateful. He was just there, listening patiently. And even though she couldn't answer him, he didn't get mad. He only nodded and tried to hide his disappointment in her lack of knowledge. She saw his scientific side die out slowly and he accepted that she wouldn't be able to say more. But he did all that in a subtle manner and she was grateful. In a way, she was relieved and her sleep came faster than usual.

The next morning Olivia was startled by her doorbell while drinking her coffee. It was only few minutes past seven a.m. and she was still groggy. She shuffled to the door, wearing only pajama and a fluffy robe over it. Her work shift was starting in an hour so she had enough time to get ready and she didn't expect any morning visits. Simply said, she couldn't care less about her appearance.

She didn't check who it was and opened the door with her left hand since her right one was occupied with holding the mug with a brewing hot beverage.

It was Hank and he was holding something. She cast her eyes down to see what was the covered thing but her sight moved to his hand. It was blue and she panicked, falsely thinking that he was turning to his scarier side. The irrational fear she carried with herself since she was young won over her reasonable thinking and she stumbled back. She spilled the hot coffee in the process, burning her tender skin and yelled in pain.

Hank was immediately alarmed. He did nothing, or he was not aware of doing anything wrong and yet she was looking at him like a doe caught in headlights. He quickly followed her eyes to where they had been seconds ago while wondering why she acted like this towards the covered cupcakes from his mother. She made him go and give it to her while they are fresh and she still didn't leave for work. But her reaction was ridiculous until he noticed the blue streak of paint on his arm. He knew she was terrified of him when he was a Beast. 'Oh god, she assumed...' Hank finally figured it out. This was bad.

He heard her yell and without thinking his actions through, he moved to touch her hand to quickly assess the damage and take the mug from her hand. Even if he burned himself, it would take him shorter time to heal. He wanted to say 'cold water' but he never did because the instant they touched, the stabbing pain shot through his whole body. He quickly let go off of her hand and concentrated with his everything on not turning. That would only worsen the situation which was already bad enough. He leaned on the wall, breathing heavily. The pain was subsiding slowly but the ache lingered.

"Pour cold water on it," he forced the words out through his ragged breathing. She just stared at him petrified so he added loudly: "Now!"

Olivia snapped out of her trance and run to the kitchen, leaving him behind. She couldn't help him in any way, it was too late for that and her hand needed the proper treatment. She let the cold water pour over it and closed her eyes, savoring the blissful feeling.

She heard steps few minutes later and opened her eyes to look at him. Her face twisted with guilt, giving away her true emotions. Olivia looked to the ground in shame. She could see it was only color now and she had hurt him once again, basically without reason. It was same as what Marge did. She assumed something wrongly and her follow up actions caused only problems.

Hank found the bandages in her bathroom and motioned for her to sit down. She stopped the water and complied.

The strongest deja vu hit her when Hank began patching up her hand. Exactly the same thing happened in Xavier's school, only this was her place not Hank's. She was wondering if she should apologize, although it wasn't entirely her fault. Her mutation often manifested without her consciously forcing it to do so.

She eventually decided what to say but Hank beat her to that and opened his mouth sooner than she did.


	8. The color of sky

"Okay, I think it's obvious that you need help," Hank said frankly. Olivia only gave him a hard glare. And here she was, thinking of apologizing and he turned her into a mental case. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that!" He stuttered after realizing how it had sounded.

"Help with your mutation. Honestly speaking, we have to figure it out before someone else is hurt."

Olivia looked up into his eyes. He was genuine and absolutely right. This was not the first time she had hurt another human being.

She nodded gloomily. "Maybe we should sometime."

Olivia wasn't sure about the whole testing thing. True, she could learn a lot about herself but where would it lead? They can study her, examine every part of her but would they find any solution? Can it be cured? More importantly, did she want it gone? Her mutation might be dangerous but she put it to good use occasionally and walking down the dark street never bothered her. Maybe the people there, not only Hank, would be able to help her with control. The school definitely taught young potentially dangerous mutants more than simple Math and English.

Hank wanted to see into her mind and know what she was currently thinking. Her eyes indicated that she was once again, pondering over everything, completely oblivious to the world around her.

He decided to snap her out of it when her face saddened. He changed the topic by a simple question, hoping she would catch up on it eventually: "Why blue?" Hank really wished to know why she chose such a color for a bedroom.

"What?" Olivia didn't understand at first. What did he meant by blue? Weren't they talking about her mutation just a moment before? He had to say something while she was thinking. Olivia cursed herself silently for the lack of attention.

He enlarged on the question, explaining he meant her pick of the paint. She blushed visibly from feeling so stupid. Why did he want to know? He surely couldn't be aware how personal this was to her.

She contemplated how to answer. Even though Hank kept on proving his good intentions of simply helping her out, she was hesitant to share.

What made her give at least a short answer was the previous evening. When they dined together, Hank revealed himself as a quite content listener. He kind of managed to make her feel better yesterday. And if she compared what he did and what she did in return, he deserved an answer.

"Because of my mother," Olivia said. When she met his gaze, there was plain understanding which encouraged her to say more. His caring expression made her forget all her previous thoughts. She dropped the hesitant feeling. Getting it finally out felt kind of nice.

"When I was a kid, I always used to plan how my house would look like and what decorations I would buy." Her face lit up with remembering the nicer parts of her childhood and Hank listened contently.

"My mom, she would always say that I had to pick blue, in living room or bathroom, it didn't really matter where. It reminded her of sky and ocean and it reminds me of her. Blue things bring only happiness" She laughed, lost in the memory. "It sounds silly, but how she loved looking at the sky," Olivia sighed. She could speak about her mother for hours and never grew tired of it.

She suddenly remembered she wasn't alone. Hank's understanding eyes only reminded her of every principle she just went against. 'Did I not plan on saying nothing?' she grew irritated with herself. What was wrong with her? She was always so cautious, spoke to literally nobody about her personal life. So why the hell was she confessing everything to this stranger for past two days? What made him so special? She had no idea and couldn't explain her behavior.

Hank noticed the shift in her demeanor, from smiling to an uncomfortable frown.

"She sounds like a great woman," he approached carefully, not wanting to say something wrong in case she would close up entirely.

"She was," Olivia concluded sadly.

Hank was finished with tending to her arm and she was apparently reluctant to say more so he stood up from the chair while saying he should go.

Olivia didn't answer at first but stood up as well and followed him to her entrance door.

"Wait!" He turned around to face her while she tried to swallow all the prideful emotions and tell him the truth. It might insult him but Olivia needed to say it.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted but it's just that, no offence, but you can be scary."

Hank was looking at his feet the whole time, the corners of his mouth lifting bitterly. He knew that she was right, he could be very scary indeed, but he learned to accept it. Though hearing her say it out loud wasn't the highlight of his day.

"Look, it has nothing to do with you," she added quickly after noticing his sullen posture. Her hand reached out to assure him but she put it back down after thinking better of it.

"Really, it's my phobia of animals and every time I see you like that..." Olivia shuddered involuntarily.

Hank finally looked her in the eyes, surprised. That explained few things and he couldn't believe himself that he missed such an important fact.

"I'd rather get rid of that blue cardigan I have," he joked in hope of lightening the mood. He was never good with jokes but it worked and she actually found it amusing.

He suddenly remembered about the cupcakes which his mother made him deliver. Now, they were resting on the small table beside her door. Hank took them and handed them to her.

"I'll see you later today," he said. Olivia looked at him incredulously: "You will?"

Hank only smiled and joked about her living room, not being painted by itself. They both laughed, knowing he was right.

He glanced at her and contemplated if he should tell her already.

"You should probably hurry to work."

Her eyes went wide and she looked down at herself. She was still in her robe and pajamas. She found herself not being bothered that Hank would see her in this state. But he was right again and they spend a lot of time hurting each other and now she had only about ten minutes to get ready. She had no idea how she was gonna make her hair, make up and dress so quickly. Not like she used ton of make up or something but she liked having time to properly prepare herself for a day without hurrying.

Without as much as goodbye, Olivia disappeared inside the house.

Hank shook his head while laughing at her antics and closed her door silently. He hoped she would not hurt herself even more and though he was slightly worried about her, he didn't doubt that she would make it to work in time.


	9. Girl talk

Olivia rushed through the house, almost tripping several times. Her wardrobe ended up being a huge mess after she picked the outfit for the day in hurry. There was hardly any time left so she just snatched her purse and keys, not bothering to do anything with her hair, not even combing them with the brush. There would be enough time to do that on her way.

Olivia ran the remaining meters to her office building and entered short breathed, her ponytail already falling apart. She checked the time and allowed herself to slow down once she was sure that her shift started in two minutes. She made it. This day might not be as disastrous as she had previously thought.

Right as she was getting some positive vibes, someone jumped into her way and she wasn't fast enough to dodge. They collided and Olivia's burned hand got in the middle of them, causing her to hiss in pain.

They both scrambled to their legs and Olivia finally saw that it was Laura, her overly shy colleague. She couldn't properly express how glad she was that her powers didn't come out. Laura would likely die from the trauma. Or that was what Olivia expected, but the woman was giving her an odd look. She brushed it off to a surprise but it must have been something else, it didn't feel right. Olivia didn't comment it and started apologizing even though it was more of Laura's fault.

All of sudden, Laura's eyes popped out, she looked like a deer caught in headlights. The change caused Olivia to feel slightly guilty for scaring her. After all, Laura has acted nervous around her ever since she came, or more like ever since Dorn pointed out that she was potentially dangerous mutant.

"I'm so sorry! You just appeared from nothing, sorry!" Olivia tried to smooth the situation.

"It's okay," Laura said with a small smile. It was so forced, Olivia internally cringed.

She walked past her to finally reach her office but before Olivia turned the corner, Laura murmured something she couldn't properly make out.

Now in the office, Daryl was caught up in his work as always. Dorn glanced her way and gave an extremely distasteful look for her appearance. He must had been overreacting since she couldn't possibly look like a hobo even with her hair in a messy ponytail.

She gave him a cold stare in return. Their relationship was quickly turning to hatred. Once again, not really her fault. He started it and she even tried being civil but that could only last for a limited time. She wouldn't be nice to someone like him. If he ever decided to return her effort, she might reconsider but he would have to make a first step to making peace.

Amy came shortly after her and witnessed Olivia redoing her hair to appear more professional.

"Wild night?" Amy suggested with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Olivia stopped in her tracks, her hands frozen in the air and a smile crept to her face. She couldn't get offended by the silly remark even if she wanted to. Dorn gave them another ugly glare and Daryl glanced up from his computer screen to see what was so funny since Amy was straight out laughing out loud. Both girls only shook their heads and Amy tried to contain her laughter. It wasn't unusual for her to so casually spill jokes and after few weeks, Olivia could not ignore her coworker's constant effort to make her smile or give any information.

Later that day when their duties were attended to, Daryl and Amy invited Olivia to come and have lunch with them. It most definitely wasn't the first time they had decided to approach her with such an offer but she usually refused, though they kept their hopes up. She couldn't keep up the 'I don't need any human contact' act forever.

The persuasion took them several minutes. Olivia eventually agreed to tag along after Daryl, probably the smartest one of them, provided an undeniable argument - she had no food at home and they could at least show her around a new neighborhood.

The food she ordered on Amy's recommendation was indeed good and Olivia even enjoyed her company.

It was apparent that Amy and Daryl were not only coworkers but great friends. She had never felt excluded in their conversation, both were nice and friendly people and somehow, the three quickly managed to get over the awkward start and now they were all laughing at Daryl's story from his previous job.

They had a lot of fun and she really enjoyed it. There was one topic avoided, though - mutants. She really appreciated that they didn't see her as only that. Being labeled as mutant was one of Olivia's fears for so long and then came these two. Amy and Daryl couldn't possibly know how much it meant to her that they saw the real her. They refused to hate that a small particular part of her that couldn't be changed.

Over the years of solitude, she got used to being closed up and maybe a bit sarcastic but she wasn't bad. Olivia, deep down, was a good person but that part of her was hidden and reserved for people who she deemed worthy of her real self. Only her father was left of those after her mother had died. But recently, she began to like a lot of people. Amy and Daryl were quickly becoming more than random colleagues. Then there were her neighbors, Edna and Norton. They were very welcoming to her ever since she moved. And lastly there was Hank. She was a bit conflicted when it came to him. The first impression was gravelly ruined by the situation she was in at that time. She considered him more of an enemy but he soon turned an unexpected ally. Now, she thought of him as a friend, even after a few meetings. Those helped greatly and she wasn't scared of him as much as in the beginning. Baby steps but it was at least some progress. Her phobia wouldn't just suddenly disappear. There was a lot of work to do.

She returned home, feeling strangely happy and set everything ready for Hank's visit. She had all the brushes and buckets ready and now she had to wait for him to come. He did came as he promised and the evening was spent with no more incidents like the one that morning. He helped her paint the walls in her living room in a beautiful coral orange color. The room was immediately lighter and she could already picture it with the furniture. It would be lovely and homy.

Hank was adamant on checking her injured hand. She was reluctant to obey, after all it was just a burn from a hot coffee. She wouldn't die. But he was a doctor, not her so she agreed and he gently started to put down the bandages.

"You know, Edna is making her famous lasagna for dinner..." Hank started his proposal.

"Is everything she cooks famous?" Olivia couldn't hold back her slightly sarcastic remark and interrupted Hank with a small smile, although she meant it in a good way.

He laughed wholeheartedly. "Actually no. For some reason she can't make lava cakes. It stresses her out immensely."

"I can relate." Olivia laughed alongside him.

Hank finished examination of her hand, the burn was healing nicely, even for the small inconvenience of hitting it earlier in her work. She failed to mention that to him, but it would only add worries to his handsome face and she really didn't want that.

"So... um... would you like to come? I'm sure Edna..." Hank awkwardly tried to invite her over and she could see that he was really shy about it. If his stuttering and disability to look her straight in the eye didn't say it, nothing could.

"I would never turn down an opportunity to witness Edna's cooking skills." She ended his misery. Olivia was in such a good mood that her doubts had no space and she agreed right away.

Hank was glad not only because she agreed but also because he was experiencing another side of her today. He liked that new found humor, albeit sarcastic, underneath that gloomy act she was playing. He could tell that there was more to her than her pessimistic side and he wanted to uncover it. To get to the core of her personality, to get to know her true self. Hank had a feeling he would like what he'd find. However it would take a lot of time since he had to return to New York soon.

She took a sweater with long sleeves before they exited her house. She didn't feel like explaining how she got her injury since it would feel wrong to just say that she had almost heart attack because their son turned to a blue beast and she was hella afraid of those.

Edna was a bit surprised by an unexpected guest but happy that her son finally brought a girl to her house. She was excited for them but didn't let it show, though she had sent a knowing smile to Hank when Olivia wasn't looking. He blushed and that was the moment that Edna knew there was something more, even if Olivia and Hank hadn't fully realized it yet.

Norton was quick to find another plate for her while they talked a bit near the door. The four of them seated themselves and the delicious food was served. Also, Olivia didn't forget and thanked Edna for the cupcakes. It was really nice of her.

They talked a lot during eating, Edna always found a new topic and somehow, it was mostly Olivia and Hank talking together. Edna kept smiling mischievously and Hank of course noticed. Olivia was oblivious to it and continued eating.

She knew that her neighbors were nice people but seeing them like this, they were a cute family indeed and they cared about each other deeply. She liked that she got to know Hank better. There was one time that the argument almost erupted when Edna complained how Hank was never home. This must be something they like to bicker about, because Hank sighed tiredly and almost rolled his eyes. He then proceeded to explain that he believed in what he was doing. He insisted it was the right thing to help educating mutants. But he was careful to make it sound like she didn't do a bad thing by refusing to work for Xavier in his school. The small smile appeared on her lips unconsciously.

It was late when she returned home and she immediately went for the bed but couldn't sleep. She unplugged her phone from the charger and decided to browse the Internet. She was reading an interesting article about immigrant crisis in Europe when her phone beeped, announcing a new message. She pondered who it was since all the message read was 'Hey!' She had no idea so she texted back 'Who's that?' and waited for an answer.

She didn't have to wait for long. The quick reply read 'Amy'. She rolled her eyes, who else.

'How did you even get my number?' She couldn't help texting back. She was curious but then she thought better of it and quickly typed another message 'Wait, I don't wanna know.'

Amy then sent tons of emojis with 'So what did you do tonight?'

Olivia hesitated. It was like an old habit to keep everything to herself and before she got over it Amy texted her again: 'I don't mean to intrude or anything. I just wanted to talk to someone because Daryl ditched me. Apparently he had better plans for the night.'

It made Olivia sort of sad. She could relate to being alone and to lack of friends. She knew the gut wrenching feeling, no one to turn to not only with problems but also no one to share happy moments with. It must be hard for such an energetic woman as Amy.

'Someone invited me for a dinner.' Olivia confessed through the message.

She received a phone call almost immediately and picked up, knowing it was curious Amy.

"You had a date?! Tell me everything!" the overexcited voice announced. She could hardly make out what Amy said, she was talking so fast.

Olivia laughed but complied. She explained that it wasn't a date by far. She told her more about Hank and even the truth behind how they met, then, she described all their previous meetings. Olivia surprised herself, she never knew she would actually enjoy a girl talk.

Amy squealed in delight and confidently exclaimed that it was a faith that kept bringing them together, one way or another. It was cute according to her.

When Olivia though more about this conversation, it struck her that this was probably her first girl talk. She never had friends or boyfriend. Of course there were plenty of crushes, she was still a female. But her mum died before she had a chance to talk about boys with her.

There was one more thing she observed during their long conversation. She was slowly but surely falling for the cute boy, no not a boy, a man. She was falling for a handsome man who hid his beastly form and his exceptional intellect. He could be really sweet and passionate for things he was interested in such as medicine, science and helping mutants. He was responsible, empathic, friendly and above all, so thoughtful when it came to the tiniest of things. How could she not notice it before? He was probably the best guy she had ever encountered, apart for his furry problem. That was actually more of her problem since she had that stupid phobia. Being a blue beast was part of him as much as transferring pain was part of her.

She went to sleep well past midnight, content with her newly discovered friend. She decided to go for it, to try being a good friend to Amy and probably to Daryl in a short time, too. Olivia wasted a lot of friendships because of her being a mutant but this time it was different. Both of them were fine with her and actually enjoyed her company. Distancing herself again sounded like the easy way but not as the best or as the way she wanted to take.

Maintaining a relationship with Hank would be challenging but she was willing to give it a try. Thinking of all the new relationships and experience was scary. Olivia feared such a big change in her personal life but it was unavoidable. Doing everything by herself was getting more and more difficult with every problem that arose. Maybe she wasn't supposed to only change work and house. Maybe life was giving her an opportunity to ler her real self out.

XxX

She has no idea what's coming. She will never suspect me, it was only a matter of time, all mutants must pay one day for what they did, hers is coming. The plan is already in motion. The first step? It was too easy. Olivia had to adjust, make friends. It didn't even take her that long. The false feeling of safety.


	10. First note

She hadn't seen Hank ever since she came home from the dinner with him but that was just yesterday. She knew she was being incredibly irrational. Olivia really wanted him to stop by in the morning to say goodbye before he left for New York but he hadn't. He was probably long gone and didn't want to wake her up too early. Or he just didn't want to see her again. She highly doubted the last option.

She was locking her front door, ready to head to work when Edna told her through the window to wait a second. Olivia was confused but had some spare time so she went to her neighbor's door and waited for her there.

"Good morning, Olivia. I hope you're not in hurry." Edna emerged from inside.

"No, I have time. Is there something important or...?" She left the question hanging in the air, leaving Edna to take the initiative.

"Depends." The older woman gave her a mischievous grin and snatched a small paper from the drawer right next to the door.

"Oh," Olivia exclaimed surprised when Edna as much as threw the piece of paper at her.

There was a phone number. She looked at it and then back at Edna with her eyebrows in a confused frown.

"Henry left it here for you, he said he forgot last night." Edna's expression could be only described as that knowing look only mother's possessed.

Corners of Olivia's mouth rose, it was really nice of him. She shook her head slightly. And she thought that he would just leave with nothing. She should have expected better of him than to just ditch her. In a way, he was a real gentleman.

Amy kept sending her kisses and forming hearts with her hands the whole day. She was acting like a silly teenager but it actually perfectly summed up how Olivia felt. Like a teenager with a crush.

She was currently daydreaming about Hank, she wondered if he was safe and comfortable on his long way home. She couldn't believe herself. Why was she acting like this? She knew him only for a month or so and they spent only few days together. There was a lot of things she still didn't know about him and he about her. She should stop doing this to herself. She had no idea when they would meet again since he lived so far away.

Olivia tried to shake herself of thoughts of him and focus back at work but in the process she knocked down the coffee cup. It was really an accident since it laid so dangerously close. Fortunately, it had been already empty.

The sound of glass shattering broke the silence in the office. Soft yelp escaped from Laura's mouth and she even jumped a little in her chair. Amy didn't even care about the cup and asked Olivia straight away if she was fine. She merely nodded. Mary, although a bit startled from the sudden sound, immediately offered to help her with cleaning. Olivia knew Mary well enough to be sure that if she refused, Mary would help her anyway. The old lady was just too pure for this world.

Then came Dorn's response, no one was surprised.

"What on Earth Tanner? Are you trying to kill us all?" Marcus angrily snapped at her. But come on, he was clearly exaggerating.

"How can that cup kill you?" Daryl, now irritated at Dorn fought back. His words obviously what everyone thought in their heads.

Marcus fumed angrily, contemplating if he should just avoid the fight. Laura was watching them doe-eyed from her seat.

"It's just a glass, Marcus. She can't kill you with it, unless she is telekinetic." All eyes snapped to Laura and the broken glass was quickly forgotten. Amy stared with her mouth wide, unable to utter a single word. And so was everyone else in the office. Of course they knew Laura could talk but she was always so quiet, especially during heated arguments.

It was likely the first time she had heard her say more than few syllables. It kind of sounded like she was at Olivia's side but her tone, there was just something strange. She sounded shy but also sort of irritated. She had to have enough of Dorn's stupid remarks. Maybe she was for the mutant rights or something but afraid of them nonetheless.

The way she said the last words was the most intriguing. Like she knew Olivia's mutation, but that was impossible. The only explanation Olivia found was that Laura probably read a lot and was aware of a supernatural powers. It didn't necessary meant she was expert on mutants or anything.

It was quite chilly outside by the time she got home. She hurriedly searched for her keys and unlocked the door. She wasn't careful enough and almost slipped on a blank white envelope. She thought it was another invitation to Edna's pie or some other delicious meal, since the woman liked to slip notes under her door.

What she had found inside startled her. Her paranoid part begging to be let out.

She threw her bag to the ground, together with her keys and the note. She rushed out of her house and to the street but there was nothing suspicious going on, not a single person out apart from her. She returned inside, still shocked. She knew there would be no one and that the envelope must have been put there when she was working but Olivia just felt safer knowing that there really was nobody outside her home.

"You don't belong here." That was the message that scared her so much. She questioned all the possibilities. What did it concern? Was it because she was a mutant or simply because she was new to this neighborhood? Maybe it was just local kids, trying to scare the shit out of new person. Or it was that goddamn Marcus Dorn. He was open about his dislike and disgust towards her. He might want to scare her off. How pathetic of him.

No matter what she thought, all of the doors and windows were securely locked that night.

Olivia made an effort to appear normal the following day at work. She couldn't help it and kept giving Dorn a suspicious glares, causing Daryl to ask her if everything was alright. She just brushed it off to bad sleep.

She was about to leave the building but Dorn got in her way, causing her to almost collide with him. He mockingly put his hand to the air in surrender and joked 'Don't murder me,' but she detected a hint of seriousness in his taunting voice.

"Why would I do it? I don't kill people! You should really stop saying it, it's absurd!" She walked past him and left.

Nothing weird or unexpected happened for the next two days. Olivia hoped it would stay like that. Dorn had to rethink his decision and actually stopped frightening her after the confrontation they had.

She came to work on Friday and even though the day was spent casually chatting with Amy and actually working, she sensed someone watching her. Whenever she turned around, everyone was doing their work. It stressed her out. She must be imagining things now.

During the shorter break she gingerly approached Amy and shyly asked her to go shopping with her someday soon. She wanted to buy some cute decorations which would make her newly painted house seem nicer.

"I would hug you right now if I could!" Amy beamed, overjoyed. "Our Liv is getting out of her shell!"

Olivia kinda liked the new nickname. She laughed at Amy's antics. She might look like a grown up woman but deep inside she was just a girl, and overly friendly one.

They arranged the girl night out to be on Sunday. They would meet short after lunch and hit shops together.

Her way home was spent as the previous ones this week. In dread of finding another note at her door. To her dismay, the theory proved to be right.

Olivia locked her door and leaned on it with her back. She took several deep, calming breaths and only then bent down to pick up the white envelope.

"I know what you are." The short sentence sent a shiver down her spine.

So it was about her mutation after all. This couldn't be a work of some evil teenagers from neighborhood. Dorn knew she was a mutant but so did every single one of her colleagues. Edna and Norton had to knew for sure. Then there was Hank and Xavier but no one from Xavier's school would do this. Lastly, there were plenty of people in New York who knew, including her father and Marge.

New note arrived on Sunday. It was a first time she was in the house when it happened. Olivia was so close to that person, what if they decided to hurt her? Paranoia hit her hard.

She considered cancelling her shopping plans with Amy. The content of the message: "You will never be safe." sounded sinister. But that was the sole purpose of it - to scare her. She wouldn't let them. No, she would do everything as if nothing happened.

They hit the shops, Amy was an awesome help and guide through the mall. Olivia didn't even think back to that notes. She had fun and found perfect decorations. As the end of their night out, Amy invited her for dinner in a local sushi restaurant. Olivia's legs were hurting so the break from all the walking was soothing. They finished the food and parted their ways.

Olivia was walking to the bus station. She was exhausted and her hands hurt from the heavy bags. She didn't have a car, it was useless in New York but here? It would be great but she didn't have enough money at the moment.

She heard a whistling behind her but ignored it, she wasn't even sure if it was aimed at her.

The steps of someone else echoed in a dark street and she felt someone was following her. This time it wasn't just her imagination. She glanced behind her shoulder and a man was indeed following her.

She quickened her pace and allowed herself to slow down only when she saw her bus. Her shins were burning and so were her hands. Her state of mind was wonder of its own, too.

She was luckily the only one to get on the bus at this station. She slummed down into a chair and let out a long sigh. Why was she so paranoid? She could easily overpower him, small amount of pain would be sufficient. Well, at least if he wasn't like Hank. She had to put a real effort into hurting him. Olivia cringed at the memory. Their first meeting was a terrible misunderstanding.

Back to what just happened. Was it a coincidence? Receiving such a threat and then being followed by a creep just a few hours later? Was it Dorn? She didn't know him well enough but it was odd to think he would be able to harass her like this. Even if they disliked each other, their small fights and cold glares were something entirely else. This was too much even for him. But who else could it be then?


	11. They keep coming

Not a single note came during the next week. Olivia knew she should be happy but instead, she was anxious. She couldn't believe it was over so quickly. It just couldn't be the end and if she let herself be happy, she would be let down in case there was white envelope waiting for her somewhere.  
She was passing the small wannabe reception desk in her work building. The security guard was sitting there, looking at cameras as usual. She planned on simply going to the stairs and up, where her cubicle was but his head snapped to her and he stopped her.   
Olivia looked at him surprised. He merely greeted her when they passed each other, she didn't expect him to directly address her, like ever. She couldn't imagine why he would want to talk to her. It startled her a little, but she was sure that she had done nothing wrong.  
"I have something for you here," Bill, if she remembered correctly said and started to rumble through papers on his desk. He handed her a white envelope and she took it from him. Her breath caught in her throat, she couldn't speak. They had sent it to her workplace.  
Olivia tried to act natural and hid her shock. If Bill noticed anything, he didn't say. She sent him a slight nod in as a thanks and hurried upstairs to the restroom. She locked herself in a stall and opened it. It was the shortest one so far. "Freak."  
She sighed in relief, this was nothing. Sure, there was the fact that someone was sending her these notes, and that itself was surely crime. Also, Olivia now had a stalker. It was the only explanation. Someone was following her, sending her scary messages, they knew where she lived, worked, about her evening plans - obviously a stalker case.   
Olivia wasn't so spooked by this one. Was it supposed to make her feel bad about herself? Well, it didn't. She was already past that stage of her life. Crying over what she became. Of course there were still moments when she wished to be normal, not frowned upon and feared. She didn't know the full extent of her powers since she had always avoided using them but they kept her safe when necessary. Like when she had to protect herself from her perverted boss or whenever she was walking home alone through the dark streets. She was cool with them now, they had a perks and negatives, but what didn't?  
She placed the note back to the envelope and into her bag. She kept all of them on a secured place in her house. It was evidence, maybe she would need it once.  
What concerned her most about the last note wasn't its content but the way it found its way to her hands. So far, all the notes were slid under her entrance door. Now she knew that if there was nothing on her doorway, it didn't mean there was no note. They could be anywhere.  
Her new theory proved to be right when she found new message in between her bills and leaflets. White envelope was standing out in the middle of the stack.  
"The mistake of nature." It contained another nasty insult and she began to doubt her decision to keep all of this to herself. It was the fifth message she received so far. Frankly, it didn't feel like a prank anymore.  
Her boss, Elias Fields, summoned her and Mary into his office. There was no reason to be afraid since he was always polite and nice, though he expected the best from his employees. She was sure her work here was adequate, if not exceeding.   
Olivia wasn't in trouble, on the contrary. The boss needed help with stocktaking so he asked Mary to do it while Olivia would help and learn how it was done in this firm. Not like it was very different. There were the same regulations and deadlines as in any other firm. Only the firm's storage was what she needed to get accustomed to.  
They were going over some office supplies when Mary initiated a small talk. Olivia wasn't great at it, mostly for the lack of practice, but she tried to be a good company for the older woman.  
"So, is there a boy waiting for you back home?" Mary asked while writing down a long number.  
"God no!" Olivia laughed. She wasn't certain if Mary meant here in Illinois or back in New York. Her laugh quieted down and she wondered back to Hank. He could be hardly seen as her boy, but she came to terms with her growing affection towards him. Though if he was, she wouldn't have to think about the question much. He would count for both options. Born and raised in Illinois but enchanted by New York.  
Mary smiled as a mother would, the smile knowing of what was running inside Olivia's head. Of course she could hardly know for sure but even Mary was young once and she, also, had her fair share of love. So she told her stories, of how she met her late husband, how charming me was, always bringing her flowers, no matter the occasion. The long work needed a break and the fond memories provided an excellent escape.  
"Why don't you go home, rest a little? There's not much left, I'll finish it," Mary kindly offered. The usual small smile playing on her lips.  
"No Mary, that's unnecessary. Besides, you could use the rest more than me," Olivia told her.   
"Oh, so that's how it is? I'm not that old! I don't need midday naps. Yet!" Mary faked being hurt but the mischievous twinkle was obvious in her eyes. Olivia laughed alongside her.  
"You shouldn't be walking in dark and alone!" Mary turned all worried and serious in an instant.  
Olivia looked down to her feet with a sad smile.  
"I'm a big girl Mary. And well," she hesitated, "I have my abilities to protect me if necessary." Olivia felt extra vulnerable. It was a long time since she so openly admitted to have powers to a human. It wasn't so intense since everyone in the office knew but it still felt strange. But one thing was for sure, even if they knew that she was mutant, it would take time until she'd be ready to clarify what sort of abilities she possessed. It would surely be easier if she could heal others or something useful like that. Transferring pain was occasionally efficient, but only for her.  
"Lucky you, I guess." Mary winked at her at returned to counting stocks.   
Olivia had almost shed a tear at this beautiful woman. She was pretty aware of Mary's personality, she was practically saint. But after she opened up about the mutation, she rarely got such an response. Not like she talked a lot about it with other people, she still had enough bad experience. That's why Mary's words moved Olivia so much, even if she knew her as a kind person. For a woman of older generation, Mary was overly accepting and open minded. Perfect opposite of plenty elders who were prejudiced and unwilling to learn new things, to as much as listen to fresh opinions.  
"Why are you not out of here already?" Mary spoke up after a longer silence. Olivia was too stunned to work and spent most of the silence by staring at Mary in disbelieve.

"Well, you heard me. Time to go home." Mary insisted once again. Her voice kind but commanding.

Olivia then left, she didn't wish to anger her. She became to adore the old lady. She was like a grandmother Olivia had never had.

She was walking out of building, her lips formed in a happy smile. And she was really happy. Even if the notes said she was freak and mistake, she knew her worth. She was a good person, flawed, but good nonetheless. She was beginning to understand that she had never had to avoid social interactions. Not everyone was up there to harm her, the world was still full of genuinely nice people. Maybe she had made a huge mistake by keeping close to herself and letting in only her parents. Everything would be different now. But she was a child then, it changed, she grew up and gained experience. Both negative and positive. There was enough time to amend her ways.

Olivia shook her head, this was no place to contemplate her whole life. She should be watching her steps or else she would end up ungracefully sprawled on the pavement or better, under the wheels of a car. And it would be all her fault. Though her smile hadn't fade, only increased by the amusing image.

It didn't take long for the day to be ruined. She froze and the dreadful, paranoid feeling returned right as she spotted something white and rectangular crossing her path.

She slowly approached it and as she got closer, she could tell it was envelope with a stone securing it against the wind. 

Olivia looked around. There was no one who could lose it. Not like that would be reasonable explanation with a stone holding it down. This couldn't be coincidence. Not many people were left in office. Max two or three, now that she had left. 

The small chance that it was not meant for her, albeit highly unlikely, made her check again if there were any passerby. No one.

She bent down and picked it up, opening it as fast as she could without absolutely tearing the envelope.

No way this was for someone else. She put it into her bag and hurried home with a bad feeling.

"You should be afraid, not feared." 

The notes were getting more intense every time a new one came. It wasn't insult, it was straight out threat now.

Olivia pondered over the statement for quite some time. She had never endangered anyone on purpose, apart from Bradshaw but that was well justified. She had distanced herself so she wouldn't. She had taken all the necessary precautions in order to avoid direct skin contact as much as possible, especially when she was feeling exceptionally emotional. 

She decided to use an elimination of suspects to figure out who would write something like this. She considered two people who knew about her mutation and were both visibly scared of her. Marcus and Laura. 

There was also option that it was someone who she had never interacted with or met face to face. But the last message felt so personal, and what were the odds that some stranger just picked up random mutant and started harassing them?

Olivia wondered if she was wrong and didn't actually know Marcus Dorn to the level she had though she did. He might be cruel. You never truly know another person.

Then there was shy Laura. She was terrified of her, though lately it seemed like she grew used to Olivia's presence in the shared office. She brushed her off quickly. There was no way Laura could threaten her, even if Olivia didn't know her personally so well. One look was enough to determine that Laura wouldn't hurt a single fly.


	12. The night out

Olivia decided to join Amy and Daryl for a night out. Daryl wanted to go out with a guy but he wasn't sure if the other man would consider it a date or not so Daryl rather invited the girls over.

They played bowling which turned out to be really entertaining since it was the first time Olivia had played the game. It was more amusing to her companions than to her. She saw it as a purely embarrassing part of the day she desperately wanted to forget but it wasn't actually all that bad. The face they had all made when she knocked down all bowling pins was priceless.

They had also eaten an unhealthy amount of pizza, it was a great evening.

When both Amy and Olivia went to restroom, they couldn't help it but gossiped about two guys waiting for them.

Olivia was glad that she wasn't imagining it. Amy agreed with her that Daryl saw Liam as more than just a friend. And Liam seemed to like Daryl also a bit more than it was appropriate for friends. 

Amy's mischievous side came to life and a sinister plan was made.

Olivia, with a plenty of practice in pretending, would manage her part flawlessly. Amy, on the other hand, had to try harder, but she couldn't tame her excitement. It was almost impossible for her to suppress the laughter, or even smile, in the situation. So Olivia took the lead when they entered the bowling hall and approached guys.

"Daryl, I think Amy should go home, she started to feel a bit sick," Olivia said when they got close enough. Her face showing nothing but worry for a friend.

The weird sound came from Amy, who tried to hide behind her not long enough red hair. 

Olivia recognized it and knew Amy would fail at their attempt.

She put her arm behind the girl's back, to Daryl and Liam it would look like she was supporting her but it was more than it seemed.

Olivia knew it was bad to use her powers but she was doing it for her friend. Guys really hit it off and it would be shame to ruin their chance simply by Amy's disability to hide her excitement.

She placed her hand to Amy's back and carefully put a bit of pressure to her shirt. She felt the pain tingling at her fingertips and released it. It wasn't much. Amy would feel like she ate something bad and the feeling would disappear in maybe half an hour.

Amy's face suddenly twisted in a grimace and she clutched her stomach.

"Sorry boys! Must be the pizza and coffee," Amy breathed out. She didn't say anything to Olivia and snatched her bag from the sofa together with her jacket. Olivia quickly did the same.

"See you in work Daryl. Nice to meet you, Liam!" She said and hurried behind Amy. 

She found her already outside, leaning on a nearby wall.

"I'm so sorry! But I did it for Daryl. You would laugh and expose us. I'm sorry, Amy please, understand that I wouldn't do it ever again. It will stop soon, I promise!" Olivia stuttered. Now she saw that what she did was reckless. She should have done it without Amy's consent. And she practically ran from there. Olivia feared it would cost her this friendship.

But Amy laughed. It was a barely audible laugh at first but soon turned to full-out fit. She held her hand to her stomach tightly and Olivia just stared at her speechless. She couldn't understand what was so funny to Amy. She had just used her mutation on her and it was nothing particularly nice. 

Amy wiped the tears from her eyes and finally calmed down enough to explain her behavior.

"We are great team!" She beamed and Olivia once again, couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"But... I..." She couldn't find the right words.

"C'mon Oli! You saved the day! I mean, I feel like I'm gonna puke any minute, but without your little help, I would really screw it up," Amy admitted.

"So you are not angry?" Olivia needed to hear it again to clarify.

"Of course not! I know you wouldn't do it under any other circumstance, and I guess I'm kinda... proud? You know what, yes, I am proud. I consider you my friend, with your flaws and all. I want the whole package and your mutation is part of it. From now on I want you to be yourself. I can take it, believe me." Amy said with a determination and such sincerity that Olivia was left in tears. She couldn't help it. Amy was quickly becoming her best friend and it was all so overwhelming. Mary accepted her for what she was and now that Amy poured her heart out... it was too much.

Olivia let down all of her precautions and hugged Amy, tears streaming down her face.

"Aw, Oli." Amy smiled at her reaction. She knew that Olivia was pretty closed up and probably had a hard time while growing up but what she didn't expect was such a strong reaction and a hug. It was the first time Olivia wasn't careful with what she touched.

"Thank you," she sobbed into Amy's hair since she was taller than her. 

Amy broke their embrace with a strange look that Olivia couldn't decipher.

"What is it?" She asked a bit startled.

"You never actually told me what kind of mutation you have." Amy asked casually as if she was asking her where she had bought the new dress. 

Olivia sighed but knew it was time to tell her. Amy was dying to learn it ever since they had met.

"I can transfer pain. It's nothing cool, only dangerous."

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Amy snapped angrily. "You are awesome, don't you dare deny it!"

Olivia laughed. This was what she always wanted. A friend that could cheer her up and be with her whenever she needed it. Someone to be happy with.

"Shall we finish our plan?" Amy asked and Olivia nodded in agreement.

"Alright," she took out her phone and started typing. "How does: 'Go for him, he is bae.' sounds?"

"Sure, why not." Olivia managed to say before she burst out laughing. Amy winked at her and sent the message to Daryl.

The plan was to make a subtle leave and let the boys have fun alone.

Amy then proceeded to call herself cab and offered Olivia to join her but she refused. She needed some time to think and walk in a fresh air would only help.

Olivia's mind wandered back to Hank when she thought about Daryl and Liam and how in love they appeared. Were they aware of it? It took her some time and a long chat with Amy to figure out her crush on Hank. Amy should have a chat with Daryl as well. She was incredible at this and as Olivia had learned today, in matchmaking, too.

She missed Hank but she still hadn't find the time or courage to call him. He was her first serious crush and even if she had some crushes in the past, she had never actually talked to the people. But with Hank it was different. She wanted their relationship to be something more but how could it be when she lived in Illinois and he in New York? Did he even feel the same way towards her? Because he was surely a sweetheart to other people, not only to her. She sighed, there was no telling until she called him. She would have to eventually find enough boldness to do so.

She passed a grocery shop and stopped just few meters behind it. It wouldn't hurt to buy some food. She rarely had time to make a real lunch during the week but weekend was approaching and she would need some supplies. She tried to recall how much money she had left in her wallet but it was probably not enough for a proper purchase. 

Olivia found out that she had absentmindedly turned around to face the shop, but now that she decided it would be a waste of time and she would do groceries again tomorrow, she was ready to turn again and go home. She had noticed a dark figure leaning on the wall of the opposite side of road but she paid him or her no attention. Even Dundee was full of weirdos.

By doing so, she made a mistake by allowing herself to not be on high alert. 

Olivia went down several streets when she needed to cross the road. There was no pedestrian cross so she looked from left to right to see if any car was going her way. There was one on the left and she waited for it to pass.

While waiting, she noticed a familiar dark figure. It seemed like they were hiding in the corner of a building but she could still make out a person and a shadow. This made her feel slightly paranoid since she remembered a same person near the grocery store. Was it just a coincidence or someone was again following her? Was it her stalker, who kept sending her the notes or did she simply look like an easy prey? 

She reminded herself to be calm and crossed the road. She placed her bag on her shoulder and put her hands out of her pockets, just in case.

Olivia made few random turns and walked two extra streets in hope that it was just a misunderstanding and no one was actually following her. She was careful not to get lost, though.

She saw an open shop with a second hand items and entered it. She pretended to browse it but in reality, she wanted to see if the follower would just pass or wait for her. 

She was there for more than ten minutes already but the owner didn't seem to mind. It was an old man who appeared to be half asleep. She moved to the back of the shop to browse there.

Her phone beeped to announce a new message and she jumped high. The sudden sound startling her. Olivia rolled her eyes at her silly behavior.

The message was from an unknown number and she had thought it was Daryl. She was sure he would appreciate they little plan to get him and Liam together but she could have been wrong. Amy must have given him her phone number.

But the message wasn't what she had expected, it wasn't even from Daryl. Oh, how much she would want it to be, she wouldn't even mind if it was an angry rant.

It was from her stalker. She identified the person who was sending her envelopes and now text messages as a stalker. How else should she refer to him or maybe her? She could just think of him as Marcus but what if it really wasn't him?

"Not even pain will help you." She looked around but saw nothing suspicious or dangerous. It couldn't refer to the shop owner and she was the only one inside beside him. She exited it quickly and hurried home. Was it meant like in general or did it forecast someone attacking her?

She contemplating calling a cab but it would meant that she would have to wait for it and she really didn't want to stand on street, exposed.

The movement in the alley made her stop in her tracks. But she remembered all the horror movies and reconsidered. Fuck the noise, she wasn't about to get killed because of it.

She moved to get far away from the suspicious alley when a strong hand landed on her shoulder and stopped her.

Without thinking, she turned around and placed her other hand on her attacker's to send him pain but nothing happened. It must have been for the armor like thing he was wearing. Her powers worked only through fabrics and skin to skin contact. 

She didn't waste time on trying it again and instead kicked him where the sun didn't shine and fled in an incredible speed. 

Super speed wasn't her power and she was quickly out of breath. She was visibly shaking and freaked out but managed to look for a street signs. Finally recognizing some houses and with knowing she was close to home, Olivia leaned on a nearby fence and let herself breath. The man in a black ski mask who attacked her was nowhere in sight. 

Her legs hurt like hell and with every single breath her lungs felt like they were on fire.

She couldn't stop there. She had to get home and even if she was exhausted it was still possible if she tried hard enough.

She fished out her keys and managed to drop them twice before the entrance door finally opened.

Olivia locked them straight away and leaned on them in relief. Home, sweet home. Well, not so much. There was a white envelope waiting for her.

She slid down to her knees, back still leaning on the door, her head in her hands.

The first sob escaped her and then came the tears and suddenly Olivia was crying like a baby. 

She couldn't stop the frustrated scream that came from deep inside her and she pounded with her hands on the floor, wanting to just tear the envelope apart and not care. But she couldn't force herself to even look at the evil thing. Why her? What had she done to deserve this?

After she just couldn't cry anymore and her sobs calmed down enough, Olivia picked up the envelope and looked inside.

"I see everything." If it was supposed to make her paranoid, it had succeeded. 

Olivia stood up on her shaky levs and slowly looked out of her window, there was no one. Why the hell did she always felt watched or followed when mostly there was nobody? She was losing her mind. 

With a deep calming breath, she started the search of the whole house. She didn't find any cameras, microphones or anything suspicious. Either there was really nothing or she was just bad at finding things.

Olivia sat in her arm chair, she didn't bother with turning on the lights. She wouldn't be able to stand the bright color of her living room, it felt too light for the mess that her life was.

She was blankly staring in the dark of the room but the inside of her head was something entirely else. Her thoughts and theories running wild. She could no longer pinpoint who the stalker was, she wasn't a damn detective. But there was this crazy idea that kind of stood out. How could they know so much about her? They couldn't, it wasn't possible unless... unless it was indeed someone from office. Could it be someone other than Marcus? Olivia needed to figure it out before she went nuts or worse, before someone got hurt.

This time the note came in form of text message. She only noticed by the bright light of her phone illuminating her turned off computer. It was in the middle of her work shift and Olivia was glad that she remembered to put her phone to silent mode so no one noticed.

"Are they really friends?" It stood there, black on white. It scared her that it was the third one already in barely two days.

She put down her phone and just stared in front of herself, her rapid heartbeat eventually slowing to a steady rhythm.

Amy looked her away and asked her if she was fine. Olivia's head snapped to Amy. Her question startled her at the moment when she thought about everyone in here being fake. She played it off though so Amy luckily didn't suspect anything. She smiled at Olivia and returned to her work.

She took her time in glancing at every single person in the room. Nothing suspicious. They were all working, even Marcus. She tried to recall if someone had used their phone recently, but even if, she would be unable to see through the walls of cubicles and a computer screens.

Or maybe it didn't mean friends as coworker but rather as neighbors and what about Hank? Olivia brushed this theory off quicker than the one with Laura. There would be something very wrong in the universe if it turned out to be one of McCoy's.

She was now adamant that it was one of her colleagues. Everything pointed her to that direction.

Olivia couldn't take it anymore and stood up. The tension in there was unbearable. She acted too quickly and it caused her to smash the chair into a wall behind her. Five pairs of eyes immediately on her and Olivia, utterly embarrassed, glanced at their surprised faces. She had to tell herself that she didn't care, that it was just as when she was fired from Worthington Industries but that wasn't true. This was worse.

The restroom became her sanctuary once again. Her hands resting on the sides of a large sink, her head bowed down and she practiced her calming technique. Deep breath in, then out and repeat. She was becoming pretty good at that thanks to the plenty of experience lately.

Amy burst in, worried for Olivia.

"What's wrong Liv? Girl, talk to me," she asked of her desperately.

The sentence 'Are they really friends?' rang in her head and she had to decide who to trust. It was too risky, what if Amy was a true villain behind it? What if she faked being a sweet person?  
Olivia came to a conclusion. It would be beat for everyone, even if they weren't her enemy, they could get hurt in the process. It wasn't just her imagination, after all, she was attacked the previous day. 

"No, Amy, you can't understand it, none of you can!" Amy's obvious hurt made Olivia regret every single word she had said but it was better like this. 

She looked away from Amy. She couldn't bear looking at her sad expression.

"Just... leave me alone," she got it out of her with a great effort, her voice low.

Olivia could feel Amy's stare at her.

"Alright," Amy whispered. Olivia could tell she was trying not to cry, but it had to be like this. She had to remind herself one more time.

"I'm sorry," Olivia said with a small voice and fought the tears herself but Amy was already gone.


	13. Not as easy as it looks

It was too easy. Olivia got right back to where she had been before all the drama began. Back to the dark place. When only one living person knew about her mutation and everything was easier, not happier but easier nonetheless.

All it took to be left alone again was ignorance. She hadn't picked up any of the calls from Amy, Daryl or even from Mary. She politely refused all of Edna's invitations.

She had never picked up a phone to call Hank before, so not calling him now wasn't so hard. Faith decided without her, she missed her chance with him. The thought of him waiting and being disappointed saddened her. It was same with Amy, with everyone actually. It was better for them like that. Her stalker couldn't use them against her if they were not in contact. Or if they wanted to hurt Olivia directly, none of her friends would get caught in the crossfire. It was for the best. She was aware of that but it was getting harder and harder to just forget them with every worried voice mail from Mary, or angry texts from Amy.

Olivia couldn't stop going to work, even though she really wished she could. The office was incredibly tense. There was odd silence throughout the whole shift and everyone seemed relieved when it was time to leave. Amy was upset. It was visible on her blood shed eyes. She cried for few days and wanted Olivia to just get back to were they were before, but she couldn't. Daryl tried to give her some space. He managed to distract Amy with his relationship with Liam. Olivia was thankful for that.

Only one person was not affected at all. Marcus. He was satisfied with the outcome of her life. He had even sent her an overly sweet smile whenever their eyes had accidentally met. But Olivia was keen on not breaking. She would endure this. It couldn't take long. The person would stop with the notes and she would be free. Then, only then, she would be ready to let her friends in, and maybe she would try it with Hank, if he would be still interested.

This emotional torture went on for about three weeks. She had literally no social life. Olivia drowned herself in work. It helped her to get over each day. It went like that, she indeed had to go day by day in solitude. Amy wasn't the only one hurtnig, Olivia was too, and even greater. She had initiated this, it was her fault and she had to deal with it as she had dealt with everything else in her life.

It got better when Amy had finally understood that it was a waste of time to constantly call her and after a week of unanswered calls, she stopped.

No notes, threats or attacks. She still felt watched, though. It stopped. So that was the purpose? To make her vulnerable, distrustful and paranoid? To get her back to her old ways? To make her all alone in the world again?

It was another tense and uncomfortable day in work and Olivia was about to leave when Amy stepped in her way and refused to move until she listened to what her friend had in heart.

"It's time we have a real talk." Olivia wanted to just push her away and leave but Amy seemed so determined and angry and sad. She couldn't ignore her anymore but she still couldn't tell her the truth. It was a tough situation she had got herself in.

Laura was behind her desk, doing some paper work when their row began. "I think I should go."

Amy didn't spare her a single glance but Olivia told her to stay. It was her who should go, not Laura. That had angered Amy even more and she started shouting, not caring for the unwanted attention of Laura or anyone else who could come into the office.

"Damn it Olivia! Stop it, just stop!" Her eyes welled up and she began crying. It had hurt Olivia to see her like this, knowing that it was her doing.

"You stop this self-loathing, everyone ignoring thing right now! Or help me god!" Amy's voice trembled when she spoke. Olivia didn't bother to argue with her. Amy was right anyway. She hated this, being alone. She had been used to this once, but a lot had changed since then and it didn't come back so easily.

"Laura could you give us some space?" Amy commanded rudely. There was no turning back now, Olivia had to listen.

"Amy, look. I need more time... Just give me some more time. I'll explain everything when I'm ready. Please, Amy..." She begged her to have some more understanding, even without knowing her situation. But Olivia knew that Amy was capable of giving her the necessary time, she was stronger than she appeared to be. Besides, Olivia didn't dare hope the stalking was over. It felt like that but she couldn't be sure. She wanted to wait at least few days. No matter how painful it would be.

Amy was looking at Olivia, her face red from anger and frustration. She took a minute to comprehend it and answered her. "Alright, I don't want to lose you so soon. Whatever you need Oli. Just don't forget that there are people who still care about you."

When Olivia went home, she felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt better for the first time since she had started distancing herself from everyone. Amy would understand. And when the right moment came, Amy would be glad that she lived it out without even knowing in how much danger she could be exposed to.

The overall mood in office had shifted. Olivia was adamant that it had to do something with her and Amy's conversation. Or with the other woman herself. No one sent her a curious glance or asked her how she was. They kept their distance. It was a whole lot easier this way. Olivia couldn't see why they hadn't acted like this sooner when she so obviously wanted them to.

Olivia was caught surprised by the white envelope on the floor of her entrance hall. It wasn't unexpected but she still hoped that it was over. Apparently not. She thanked god for not telling Amy just yet. She would regret it now.

"Won't get rid of me so quickly. Nice family, by the way."

She stared at the note in her hands, fear slowly creeping up her back. Her heartbeat quickened and she couldn't move. She stood there petrified, but not scared for herself. Her only family was her dad. If something happened to him because of her, she wouldn't be able to live with it.

Olivia found enough boldness and dropped the note to replace it with her cell phone.

Her hands trembled when she was dialing her father's number. She dreaded the answer.

She silently prayed that he was okay while she waiting for someone to pick it up. She wouldn't even mind Marge. No response. She immediately tried again, and again.

Olivia made herself wait few minutes until calling one more time. It was killing her inside and she had to fight the tears. She couldn't stop imagining what could have happened to her daddy.

She got lucky and got a response at the fifth try. It was him. Her dad was alright. She burst into happy tears which made him question her. He had noticed how out of character she was acting and promised to call her soon. He also told her about Marge. She sprung into attention.

Margaret was a participant of a car accident. Nothing serious happened to either of the parties. She had gotten away with a few bruises and a broken rib.

Olivia was still shocked from the news when her phone announced a new text message. "How about a game?"

She threw the phone away. It had safely landed on the bed but she didn't care. She pulled at her hair in frustration. No, no, no.

Calm before the storm. The sentence perfectly summed up what was happening to her right now. This was getting out of hand. First insults that proceeded to attacks and stalking. It quieted down for a while but she still had a hard time. Now, threats to other people. People she actually cared about. They could get hurt. She had the worst feeling that the game had already started.

She thought of police again, now that there were others' lives involved. But how could she? With no real suspect, police would interrogate everyone in the office according to her theories. Would she just accuse Marcus? If police found nothing, he would be released. She wouldn't be able to work there anymore. She visualized the hateful looks and striking guilt and shivered involuntarily.

The police statement was simple. Margaret got into an accident. The blame was put onto a malfunction of traffic lights. Olivia knew better. That was the first move of the game.

It only assured her that police wasn't going to help her. Police proved nothing so what could she do?

Olivia pondered a lot about everything when she finally broke. Her emotional state was dangerously fragile nowadays and she just couldn't hold the thought of her father, or anyone else for that matter, getting hurt because of her. He could have died, or Marge. He could have been in the same car. And when the next note came - Olivia broke.

"Who's next? Father, friend or neighbor?"

Someone slipped it under the door. Olivia didn't bother looking if there was someone. There wasn't, never was.

She had to make another important call that day.

It took her some time to dig out a small paper with Hank's number on it.

He was fairly surprised to hear from her. He was nice as always but somehow, she could tell that he had lost hope in their growing relationship. Another thing she had caused by her ignorance.

She didn't waste time with apologies, greetings or other unnecessary nonsense and got straight to the point.

"You have to come here, as quickly as you can!"

"What? Is something wrong?" Hank's voice turned a bit worried. He still had no idea what was happening, she could be calling to inform him his parents were dead, luckily that was not the case.

"Yes, but I can't explain it through phone. Just come soon!" She insisted and eventually he had agreed. Olivia made him swear not to tell anyone who he didn't trust unconditionally.

She thought she would sleep better, knowing he was coming but her sleep was as restless as during the other nights.

Olivia was exhausted and anxious so she called her boss and took a sick leave for the next two days.

The whole day had gone by and Hank was still not here. She kept on biting her bottom lip until it was almost bloody. She knew the way from New York was a long one but he should be already here.

She stopped her pacing and flung herself into a big chair. Olivia closed her eyes for a minute to calm down.

She was slowly drifting off when her phone beeped. She immediately raced for it, hoping it was some news from Hank. It wasn't. It was a dreadful message from her stalker. "It was your decision."

Olivia didn't understand it. But nothing happened, or did it and she just didn't know yet? It was a scary alternative.

She called Hank. Just to make sure that he was still coming and safe. The message made her worry for his safety. She couldn't reach him. A bad sign.

Now she couldn't even sit still. She contemplated calling to Xavier's school for Gifted Youngsters, but Hank had finally called her back.

He told her he got into a serious car crash. Olivia bombarded him with questions concerning his health and safety.

He had sounded shaken. The other driver ended up dead at the spot. If he wasn't a mutant with quick healing abilities, he would be dead, too because of teh serious internal injuries.

It was her fault. Someone had died because of her. Maybe it was a stranger but only to her. That person had parents, friends. They might have been someone's father or mother. Person died because she was born with a different set of DNA and that was unfair.

He had apologized for not being able to call sooner and told her he would come but it would take longer.

"Hank, I know it's gonna take long, but... hurry up. Find some way. I need you here with me. I'm in a real trouble."

Hank, of course, had plenty of questions. Why was she acting so secretive? What was the problem? Why he had to go straight there? But being Hank, he didn't ask any of those. He had asked her if she was alright. He also knew that if it was some random person, requesting his immediate arrival, he would not go. But something in Olivia's voice, together with his growing feelings made him drop everything he was doing and get in a car for a twelve hour trip.

"Give me half a day, that's all I need to deal with this accident."

"It was no accident," Olivia told him.


	14. Dear Mary

All she could do was wait. Olivia entertained herself with watching random shows in television. She wasn't really focusing on its content. The scenes passed in a blur but at least she was occupied with something.

She was sad and felt extremely guilty for the death of the other driver but she couldn't stop the slaight happiness for Hank. He was alright and on a way to her.

It was Thursday, Olivia still didn't go to work and waited for Hank's arrival.

She was waiting for water to brew so she could make some tea when her phone began ringing.

She answered it upon seeing Amy's number. She was cautious but curious as why Amy was calling her.

"Hello?"

"Olivia! Oh my god, Mary... she..." Amy's frantic voice greeted her. She was ugly crying and Olivia could hardly understand what she was saying.

"Amy, please, stop the tears, calm down. What's happening?" She heard her sniffle, few more sobs and then she took several deep breaths.

"What... Did something happen to Mary?" Olivia remembered Amy mentioning the name of their nice colleague. She had to ask because of the sudden dread that overtook her whole body. Her stomach twisted painfully, she simply knew something was wrong. Teh tension in the air now tangible. Olivia sat down and gripped her phone stongly.

Her bad feeling rose with every one of Amy's sobs. The woman was unable to answer her and broke down. Olivia tried, but couldn't do anything to make her stop.

"She's dead. Olivia, she's dead! Dead!" Amy cried out, her voice louder with every word.

Olivia lost her focus. Amy was telling her about Mary's heart attack but she couldn't listen. She hung up on her.

It came back. She had lost her mother, never knew her grandparents and now, that she learned what a real friendship could be and how it felt to have somebody who liked and cared for you, she was going to lose them? One by one?

Not knowing her grandparents made her not miss them that much but Mary was slowly filling that empty part and it was torn from her. Torn to shreds by cruel people. She knew it was no natural cause. Mary wasn't that old and she was perfectly healthy before. Before Olivia had showed up and changed all of their lives. But none to the better. Mary was dead, Marcus fought with his colleagues so much more because of her, Laura was constantly afraid and on alert, both Amy and Daryl were heartbroken by her. It was all her fault.

The kettle was making noise which she didn't notice. She didn't notice the television or Amy's attempts to call her. She was empty. She couldn't even cry anymore. She did that so much, there were no tears left inside.

Mary, so beautiful and wise. She accepted her with no questions. She didn't even know the true nature of her mutation but she saw Olivia for what she was as a person. She didn't let her powers define how she had seen her. Mary helped her get accustomed to the office. They shared plenty of smiles, it was quite awkward at first but soon turned to an encounter that Olivia was always looking forward. If she was sad, upset or happy, Mary would be there and smile at her gently. Not anymore.

Olivia would never hear another lovely memory from the woman, or receive one of those knowing smiles.

Mary was gone but at least she was at a better place now, with her husband. The thought didn't help. Olivia was still heartbroken as if one of her family members had died.

She got to the stage when all she could do was scream. She screamed for all those who died and suffered for her. For all those who would never again see their loved ones or just make a stupid dinner.

Things Olivia would do for one moment with her mother. What she would do in order to apologize to Mary, to the dead driver whose name she had never learned.

There was so much waiting to be explored in their relationship. Olivia already knew what she was going to buy her for Christmas and now she would never have the chance.

She punched the wall next to her. The screaming stopped but the feeling continued to grow inside of her. She had to let the agony out.

Her knuckles were bruised, she hit the wall with her palm once again when the tears began to fall down her face. She landed on the hard wooden floor with her knees and stayed there for a long time. The water in a kettle evaporated long ago.

A simple sound of text message awakened her from the grieving trance. She didn't want to look. It was from her stalker. She knew it. They wanted to take credit, to announce it to the world. To admit what they had done to Mary and she was unable to tell anyone.

"You can't save everyone." Is that it? Did the twisted person mean Hank, Mary or someone entirely else? They told her that Hank's accident was her fault because she had unintentionally marked him with calling him. It was different with Mary. She was a warning. They could kill her and the others. It was in their power. Olivia couldn't believe where her life had gotten. What it had become. Was she supposed to somehow choose who of her friends would die? Had she endangered Amy with accepting her call? She really couldn't save them but she was aware how helpless she was. That was why she distanced herself from them. What if that was a wrong decision? If she had been with Mary... She stopped there. Thinking of what ifs wouldn't help. She had to act, do something. She couldn't just stand and let them threaten and kill people.

"I hate you! I hate you so fucking much!" Olivia shouted into the phone. They would hear it. They listened to everything.

She shouldn't have moved here. She started it. It was rational to blame the stalker because they were the cause not her, but she couldn't be rational now. Her mind cleared a bit but the guilt would never fade. It would cease with time but it would never be fully gone.

She wasn't just sad or angry. Olivia was devastated and furious. She wanted to let loose her pain on those who did this. But she was also scared. She was terrified and frozen. She didn't dare leave her house. All the curtains were down and everywhere was locked but she didn't feel safe. How could she with everything that had happened? Mary was probably in her house, too. She wasn't as young as Olivia or a mutant but she would fight. She would kick and bite and scratch in a desperate attempt to save her life. But if they claimed it was an heart attack, Mary did none of that and Olivia didn't believe it. They must be efficient in what they did. Olivia had the feeling that she wasn't the first mutant whose life had been ruined by them.

Olivia found her dark coat and took it. She quickly left her house and made sure to lock the door. She had to find a public call box. Her phone had never been safe and she couldn't risk any more lives.

She regretted not having a car in this situation but it would probably be another death trap. She didn't want to call cab. She didn't trust strangers.

So Olivia couldn't go to the town directly but she remembered there was one such a box in her neighborhood. If she's just recall where it was.

She ran around for about fifteen minutes when she spotted it. There were graffiti everywhere and the glass on the door was broken. She prayed that it would still work.

Her breath was erratic from the running but she didn't waste time and quickly dialed Hank's number. Hopefully, his phone was safe to use.

He was immediately alarmed. He quickly understood how gravely serious was her situation. She didn't have to tell him that people were dying but she did it nonetheless. He had to hurry up.

Olivia also told him to call Xavier and others, who could be trusted. They would need help and back up. The two of them couldn't keep everyone safe and find the culprits. She wasn't a brilliant strategist but she was smart enough to know that she had no chance against them alone or with one scary furry mutant. She needed dozen of those.

A new envelope awaited her when she had returned. She opened it right away. "Calling friends? The more, the merrier."

So they indeed knew everything. She considered if the stalker was some powerful mutant but that was illogical. The person hated mutants, no way they could be one of them.

She had to confess to Amy. If she was next, Olivia had to warn her somehow. All she had to do was figure out how. It was not going to be easy since her every step was being watched, but she owed it to Amy.


	15. Time for the truth

Olivia found a flashlight, paper, envelope, pen and a big thick blanket.

She had made a small fortress of sofa, armchair and that blanket. It would cover her from all angles, which was what she needed. 

Olivia tried to light up the flashlight under it and it worked, the blanket was thick enough and no light came out.

She put the paper and pen down there and switched off all the lights in the house expect for the flashlight. She crawled under it and started working on the letter to Amy. 

They would know what she was doing. All Olivia could keep a secret was the content of the envelope. They probably suspected it was aimed to Amy but she couldn't do anything about it.

The hardest part was what to tell her and how to explain everything in order to make the letter sufficient but not too long.

The letter turned out to be half a page long and she made sure to write 'open when you're alone' on the envelope.

It was short, she didn't mention any particular note but made sure Amy would take it seriously. She would have to believe in what she had written about Mary. 

Olivia had the envelope next to her the whole day. She didn't let it out of her sight even when she had to go to toilet.

She had to wait for the right time, Amy had to be alone.

The opportunity came when it was a lunch break. Daryl got a call from his boyfriend Liam and left for some privacy. Olivia pretended to work on some graphs. Amy was really finishing something and both Laura and Marcus left to find their lunch.

She didn't waste a single moment and instantly run to Amy. She stopped doing her work and looked up at her in surprise.

"What? Oli, what are you..." Olivia didn't let her finish. She was surely not up to this kind of things after Mary but it was the only way that Olivia found. 

"Take it to the restroom but no one else can see it, Amy just..."

Amy was already holding it in her palm and as Olivia was about to explain some more, Laura and Marcus came in. They were holding white boxes for food and Marcus was saying something. 

Olivia immediately stopped talking and turned to them with her back. Amy was still able to see her and Olivia mouthed the word 'now' and disappeared into the common room to take her own lunch.

She put the chicken leftovers into microwave and waited for it to heat. Her phone buzzed and she took it out, thinking it was Amy. "Warning anybody?" 

Olivia was no longer hungry. So they found out. Of course they did. She was as cautious as she could. It wasn't enough. But at least Amy knew now and could take care of herself.

Olivia was walking from work. It was a short walk home and her pace was quicker than usually. She didn't want to stay exposed on the street and what if Hank finally arrived? 

She hoped that Amy took her advice and locked herself in her house. She wouldn't be exposed as Olivia now, but she was basically trapped. Damn. It was hard to find a solution. But better trapped in your own house than hiding behind a random car on the street. 

She passed McCoy's house, there was no light. Weird. They must have gone out, they were quite social. 

A white envelope awaited her. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of what could be inside. But she didn't allow herself to think of all the terrible things that could had happened to Amy and opened it.

"Next round?"

They are going to kill again. This was bad. She had to call Hank immediately. He would have to come now.

"Hank! Oh god, they are gonna kill someone! We have to do something. You..." Her frantic voice greeted him and he had to calm her down. 

"We will be there in less than hour. Breath Olivia. Count with me, one..." She counted with him to ten and it had actually worked. 

"I'm bringing the whole cavalry. You just... Just stay safe, alright?" 

Olivia was quite relaxed after the call. Well as much as she could in the current situation. Her only hope was that the stalker would give her enough time before hurting anyone else. She couldn't take another loss. Mary's death was enough. She had taken the threats seriously from the beginning. It wasn't necessary. Her life could have been spared. No one had to be hurt. Why couldn't it be just her who was in danger? 

She quickly stopped thinking about Mary. Olivia didn't want to greet them with tears and red eyes. She wanted to appear strong not like a coward, which she most likely was.

It was really dark outside and she had to squint,$* her eyes in order to see the street properly. 

No matter how much she glued her face to the window, she couldn't see past her neighbor's trees. 

She pushed the curtains back and sat down on her armchair. Hank should be there in about fifteen minutes. Olivia held her phone and counted almost every second. She didn't have anything better to do. It only made everything pass slower and she grew more anxious.

"Henry would be interested in this one." The message appeared and she almost dropped her phone from the surprise. She didn't expect a note so soon.

Was she late? What about Henry? How could it concern him, his parents were out after all.

Then it hit her like truck. It was fast and scary and her stomach made a painful twist.

Olivia sprinted out of her house. The door to McCoy's house was ajar and she made herself slow down. She scoffed herself for not noticing this earlier. 

She took the first solid thing as a weapon - a baseball bat, just in case her powers turned out to be useless again, and slowly kicked the door open. 

There was no one in sight. She took cover behind the pillar and switched the light on with the bat. It was useful for more than a fighting.

She noticed a someone's hand on the ground, it looked to be male. She crept over there, her back glued to the wall and a bat ready to smack anything.

It was Norton. He wasn't moving and his eyes were closed. Olivia dropped the bat and fell to her knees. She checked his pulse with a dread. 

She could feel it, her lips formed a relieved smile but she reminded herself that it wasn't over and took the bat back in her hand.

She had to find Edna. She searched the whole house, even the garden and cellar but there was no sign of the woman.

No, no, no. She couldn't be dead. She simply couldn't. How would Olivia tell Hank. This was so wrong and messed up. Who would be doing things like that to others? She would never understand.

Hank's mother was kidnapped an he had to know. But calling him would be useless. They would all arrive shortly. No need to alert her stalker and tell them when exactly they would be here. 

This was that kind of news that was better said face to face.

XxX

Amy wanted to just stay in bed whole day and feel miserable. But she had work to go to and her life couldn't end with Mary's. She would smack her head with a newspaper and tell her to get it together. 

Amy smiled at the thought. She had to focus on the lovely memories and she would get through this. And luckily, she had plenty of those. A person literally couldn't have a bad experience with Mary. She was a sunshine.

Amy had to act normally, follow her routine and just continue. A lot of people died every single day. Heart attack wasn't uncommon. It could have happened to anyone.

She slowly walked to her car. Some asshole parked at her spot yesterday so she had to go further.

While walking she fished out car keys. She made a mistake of not watching ahead of herself and collided with somebody. Her keys dropped to the ground but she ignored them and looked up to see who was her victim.

"I'm sorry. It was..." Amy was going to say accident but the stranger's appearance left her speechless. It was a tall guy, he appeared so dark and mysterious and yet so damn sexy. She immediately blushed, he was so well built. It felt like hitting a wall.

He bowed down and picked up her keys. She felt so unusually nervous and giggled like a small girl when be handed them to her.

She slapped her free hand on her mouth and he just laughed. God that was so sexy, and that 5 o'clock shade...

Amy tried to remember his name, but she had never actually talked to him. She saw him around few times. He must have moved here only few months ago. That was strange. Whenever new neighbor moved in, she was one in the middle of planning a welcoming party.

"I'll see you around, I guess?" She said awkwardly when the silence was beginning to be too long, she had to go to work anyway. Amy didn't understand why she was so nervous, that never happened in front of strangers. She was usually more friendly and collected. Now, she was making fool out of herself and in front of such a fine specimen.

The left corner of his mouth formed to a half grin. "That you will."

His promise and grin made her swoon and there was something in his eyes that she just couldn't quite decipher.

Amy sat in her car, the belt buckled up. Her hands held the wheel strongly and she was grinning like an idiot. She took a deep breath. Well, this wasn't how she expected this day to go.

If Mary would see her now. She would laugh and joke about her times, maybe she would drop one or two spicy memories of her husband. Amy's smile grew.

Daryl was already in the office. He stood up right when she entered and hugged her for a long time. He didn't need to say a word. One look and she perfectly understood.

Marcus was holding the best, considering the situation. He worked alongside Mary for the longest time.

He hated mutants and change in general, no wonder he didn't get on well with Olivia. Some of his opinions were questionable but he wasn't bad, even if they got in a plenty of arguments around here.

Marcus was actually the one who had found Mary. She hadn't showed up to work and didn't pick up her phone. Mary would never deliberately skip work without notifying their boss. So Marcus volunteered to go check on her.

Olivia ignored her when she came, but Amy noticed her red eyes, just like hers.

She left her alone and didn't probe. It seemed that Olivia dealt with everything in solitude.

She needed to talk to her. Amy knew that Olivia and Mary were close as grandmother and a grandchild would be. This was not the time to ignore everyone. Amy was hurt as well. She wanted her friend but at the same time, it would result in argument and Amy would rather avoid that now.

She was working on some unfinished work from yesterday. She just couldn't focus with everything that was going on but it had to be done soon. Amy hadn't even noticed it was time for the lunch.

From the corner of her eye, Amy saw Olivia rushing to her with something in her hand. She dropped the thing in front of her. It was a white envelope. 

Amy stopped typing and glanced at her.

"What? Oli, what are you..." She started tiredly. She put her hand on the envelope, ready to take it but first things first. She looked back up at Olivia, silently demanding some sort of explanation. Why couldn't she make everything easier, especially now?

"Take it to the restroom, but no one else can see it. Amy just..." She wanted to hear the rest, a proper explanation. What was inside if no one could see it? Did the warning include Daryl?

Amy noticed that Olivia stopped talking right as Marcus and Laura entered. They were talking about one account, Laura was having some problem and needed an advice from Marcus, Amy had caught part of their conversation.

Olivia turned her back to them and mouthed something to her. Amy was bad at this, but the word was probably 'now'. Olivia seemed to not want both Marcus and Laura seeing what they were doing.

Amy decided to put some faith into Oli. She could be hard to get on with but she got to know her better. They had great time together. Amy had learned the reasons behind Olivia's distant and close up personality. She understood even if she couldn't imagine herself in the same position. But now, trusting Oli was harder. She had been ignoring Amy for quite some time. But this seemed important.

She smoothly placed the simple envelope into the stack of files and took it whole. On a way, her eyes locked with Laura's and she smiled at her. Laura didn't return the smile. She was still grieving, Amy thought. It was obvious. Amy's smile dropped instantly.

She got into a small storage room and found a box with papers and took one pile as a cover, if anyone wondered where she went. She had no idea why she did it. Amy felt like she was in some action spy movie.

She took out the envelope and ditched the rest of the files. She would have to get rid of them anyway. How convenient that they were still at her desk.

She tucked the envelope to her jeans and covered it with the sweater.

Amy returned and placed the stock of papers next to the printer. She tried not to think of Mary. Amy couldn't look there and not see Mary standing over there, waiting for her papers to print out. 

She shook her head and went to restroom as Olivia ordered. 

She locked the stall, took out the envelope, placed down the toilet cover and sat on it. 

She examined the thing in her hands. There was another warning at the front.

No one was around so it was safe to open it.

'I'm so sorry for hurting you, but I did what I though was necessary for your safety. Turns out it was useless and only caused a great deal of pain.'

Amy had to stop reading. Her eyes welled up and she couldn't read over the tears. So Olivia had avoided her for weeks because it was necesary? For her safety? What a bullshit. There was no danger, Oli couldn't hurt her! Her mutation might be dangerous but Olivia had enough self-control. 

Amy was so gonna beat the crap out of her if this was the real reason for all the missed calls and ignorance! Not literally, but you get the point. She was angry. And how did it turn useless? Amy didn't understand.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and continued, hoping that she would learn something more useful.

'You need to finally know the truth, why I have been acting so strangely and distantly. But you can't tell anyone, not even Daryl.'

Finally. Olivia was indeed pretty strange. Amy couldn't wait to learn the truth, but she was surprised to see that Olivia didn't trust Daryl. She wasn't of the same opinion but it was Olivia's secret to tell and Amy could always keep a secret.

'I started getting anonymous notes. Insults at first, but they soon turned to real threats. They killed Mary.'

Amy suddenly stopped. Her eyes scanned the line over and over again, but somehow she couldn't comprehend what it was saying. Mary wasn't murdered. They said it was heart attack. Doctors couldn't make such a big mistake, could they? That just couldn't be right.

'I know what you think. But it wasn't heart attack. Why would I lie? They caused Hank's and my father's girlfriend's car accidents. They did it all to hurt me.'

Olivia was making a valid point. There was no point in making this up. Amy heard about Marge's accident but nothing about Hank's. These three incidents that happened to people that Olivia cared about didn't sound accidental or natural at all.

'I think someone from the office is behind it. They know my every step. It has to be one of them, as much as I hate the idea, there's no other way.'

Was that why Olivia was acting so secretive and mysterious? But that was ridiculous. None of them would lay a finger at Mary, how could she suspect any of them? Did she think that Amy was behind it as well? Yes, she did. That was why she hadn't told her earlier.

Well, Amy hated the idea just as much. How could Olivia think so low of them? She didn't work there for long and Marcus wasn't super welcoming, but calling any of them a murderer?  
Amy's cheeks reddened in anger but she tried to put herself in Oli's place. If they knew everything about her, it was ration to suspect people closest to you. But she still couldn't believe it.

'Hank's coming to help and he will bring his mutant friends. This has gone too far. It has to end before anyone else gets hurt. Go straight home after work, stay safe and don't trust anyone but me,  
Olivia.'

The help sounded good but why shouldn't she trust her friends? Just like that? Olivia could be wrong and Amy had so many questions. But it didn't feel wrong.

So it was decided. She wanted to stay home the whole weekend anyway.

Amy hid the letter and returned to office. Laura was looking at her, longer than necessary. How odd.

She snuck the letter to her bag when no one was watching.

Olivia returned as well, and even though there was everyone, Amy slightly nodded at her. She knew Olivia would get it.

Amy drove home. Her parking spot was occupied with the same freaking car. She honked at it, just because she could and she was frustrated.

At the corner of the street appeared the mysterious neighbor from that morning and she waved at him. He grinned in return. All flushed, she opened the door to her apartment building.

She locked her door, closed all the windows and especially balcony doors. It felt like the right thing to do.

Amy was feeling quite adventurous, but immediately mentally slapped herself. Mary might have been murdered. She was not some hobbit on a glorious quest. This was serious.

Amy had woken up at about 2 a.m. She couldn't sleep. She shuffled her feet and threw herself at the couch. She remembered someone telling her that milk was good when you wanted to fall asleep, so she rolled her eyes and stood up, switched on the small lamp near her couch and went to kitchen. She made herself some warm cocoa and shuffled back to couch. 

She slowly sat down, made sure not to spill her drink and turned on the TV. She lowered the sound so she wouldn't wake up her neighbors and placed her legs to a more comfortable position.

She was slowly drifting off when she heard a well-known creek of that one particular spot on stairs. 

Amy brushed it off to her imagination but she had been already woken up.

She remembered everything about the threats that kept on coming to Olivia and how someone was slowly causing various accidents to people she cared about. Amy didn’t want to sound egoistic but she was probably one of that people.

There were new sounds, heavy footsteps on the floor, coming closer to her door.

Amy quickly but silently turned off the sound completely and placed the empty mug on the table. She dropped the blanket and hurried to her tiny kitchen.

With two biggest knives she could find, Amy crept to the door like a cat, her thick socks making no sound. She carefully stood on her tip toes and looked out through her peep hole. She almost screamed but she couldn't find her voice. She was petrified.


	16. Some more revelations

Olivia secured the house as much as she could. All the windows were closed and covered. The door to back yard was locked.

She managed to put Norton on a sofa. It wasn't an easy job. He definitely wasn't as light as the feather. But Olivia had to take care of him for a few more minutes. She placed a blanket over him to keep him warm. There really wasn't much to do. He was unconscious and she didn't really know how to help him.

She checked his pulse here and then and kept on checking the window. No movement, not even a passing by car.

The buzzing sound awakened her from her thoughts. She wondered what it might be. It reminded her of a plane, but there was no way one could fly so close to the ground.

The noise was getting louder. Olivia didn't want to leave Norton out of her sight but she was too curious. He would be fine. It hadn't occurred to her that she might be walking into the trap.

Some kind of aircraft was getting really close. She stood on the loan in front of McCoys' house and stared at it. It hit her that she should probably get out of the way since it was flying straight at her.

She watched in awe as it smoothly landed just few steps in front of her. It must have been Hank. Olivia didn't expect him to come in such a fashion but this was probably faster than car.

The side of the aircraft suddenly clicked and Olivia jumped from the surprise. It opened and revealed a door.

Hank was already standing there and as soon as it opened to its fullest, he jumped down, not minding the small stairs. He rushed towards her and Olivia did the same. They met in the middle of the way and threw themselves in each others arms.

She wasn't short but somehow, Hank was towering over her. His embrace shielding her from the entire world. It felt so good, she almost started to cry. Olivia missed the feeling of someone truly caring for her. She was no longer going to do what she did with Amy.

"Everything's gonna be okay," Hank whispered to her ear soothingly. It just reminded her of what she caused him and he still had no idea.

"No," Olivia said equally quiet. She then proceeded to tell him about his mother Edna. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. She held her gaze on the ground, she just couldn't bare looking him straight in the eyes. Olivia didn't wish to see his expression, the pain and suffering she was responsible for.

He held her shoulders while she talked. He did it to see her better, to put some distance between them so he could properly hear every single word. He basically acted as if she was a child. But who could blame him. He was a doctor and a teacher. It was a force of habit.

Hank visibly paled and moved her out of way. His eyes blank. Olivia let out more tears and tried to control the sobs which threatened to escape. She was embarrassing herself enough.

He disappeared inside his parents' house and Olivia didn't follow. As a doctor, he could do to Norton what she wasn't able to.

Olivia felt uncomfortable with strangers watching her cry. She was so emotional and vulnerable. Mostly unfamiliar faces surrounded her and she didn't want to be all teary in front of them.

Scary looking, buff guy tried hard not to look at her. He was uncomfortable with women crying.

The petite girl, who seemed too young to be here, barely an adult, approached Olivia. Her shorter colorful, mostly pink hair bounced on her shoulders while she walked.

She was careful, almost shy, but placed one hand on Olivia's nevertheless. Her willingness to help a total stranger surprised Olivia.

Unfortunately, Olivia was too emotional at the moment and her powers backfired slightly. It happened occasionally when she was at unease.

The other girl yelped. It couldn't be from the pain itself. It was just a minimum amount. She felt something like a static shock. The yelp was from the surprise, not the act itself. She was in no danger from Olivia, none of them was.

The scary man must have disagreed for he growled dangerously and did something that left Olivia even more frightened of him.

Three sharp blades came from each of his hands. They were about half a meter long. Olivia stepped back from fear of what he might want to do with them.

He made a step towards her but both the girl and Xavier stopped him. Each in different way.

Xavier outstretched his hand, sufficiently blocking the man's path and the girl spoke to him. Olivia learned his name, Logan and got the feeling that there was something more behind these two. They seemed to be closer, maybe even in an intimate relationship.

Olivia apologized even though it wasn't really her fault. She would admit bringing them here was her doing, but she wouldn't apologize for not being able to control her powers. The simple sorry would have to be enough. All of them were mutants. They could surely understand her struggle. They couldn't be born with a perfect control either.

She didn't have to warn them not to touch her again, they figured.

The girl introduced herself as Mina and they entered the aircraft. Hank returned shortly after they seated themselves in a tiny space. He was still pale as a paper, but he managed to wake up Norton who then told him what happened.

They didn't see it coming. It all happened so fast. Edna was writing a shopping list and Norton was reading his favorite magazine about gardening. All lights went dead and he stood up from his position to go check. He didn't get the chance. Someone hit him over the head and he woke up to Henry trying to get him back to conscious state.

Hank made him tea to calm his nerves. He was worried for his wife and Hank didn't want his father in any danger. He had a mild concussion from the blow to head and needed to rest.

"Don't worry Hank, we will find her. I reached Nightcrawler's mind, he can come to assist. He will teleport your father to the safety of the mansion." Xavier told his good friend while Hank found a place to sit. It was in the middle, as a pilot he had his own seat. Right now, he needed something familiar and that seat was his, he belonged there. He turned the whole chair around to face them.

Olivia hated herself for being so emotionally compromised. They needed her to explain everything but she simply couldn't. Her inability to keep a clear head in chaotic situations was getting the best of her.

Xavier offered to peek into her mind with his powerful mutation. It allowed him to see her memories. She was hesitant and didn't even know what memories to show him or if he would just find whatever he needed. The first note came a long time ago, plenty of things happened since then.

She disliked the idea of a stranger probing on her every thought, dream or memory. But it seemed like the only option they could come up with.

He warned her that the process might be painful and mentally hard since she might relive some emotions. Olivia braced herself, took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

His presence was overwhelming. The sensation was so unique and strange that she couldn't even describe it. It was like something she had never experienced before, not even remotely.

He did something and it calmed her down. She was more focused.

Olivia had no idea how this worked. She wanted to help so instead of thinking what she didn't want him to see, she concentrated on the important things - notes.

The first message told her that she didn't belong. The intrusion to her mind caused her to relive the confusion she had felt.

The next notes were just threats and Olivia visualized them only briefly.

She showed him the first note that arrived in form of text message and an attack which came alongside it.

She intentionally skipped all the time spent with Amy. They talked about Hank a lot. It was too personal and not necessary for Xavier to know. She felt quite conflicted about their relationship and however much she tried, Xavier must have caught some glimpses of her growing affection for Hank.

Another bunch of insults and threats. Her paranoia and fear crawling back with every passing image.

She remembered the note that made her question everything and everyone she cared about or just met. The awkwardness which it brought when she basically run away from her cubicle. Those stares and angry tears. The deliberate distancing that had hurt so deeply.

Then she showed him probably the most important part. Everyone whom she found odd and suspicious. The feel of somebody following her wherever she went. How she suspected Marge's and Hank's not so accidental car accidents.

The hardest memories arrived. She couldn't just skip them, they were too important. The deaths she had caused.

Olivia was sad for the driver who died instead of Hank but Mary, her emotions were a rollercoaster when it came to her. She wasn't a stranger so it was million times worse.

Her heart broke again. The pain was unbearable. She experienced it all over again.

Olivia knew she wasn't crying only in her memories. Someone gently grabbed her hand. It was Hank. He gave her the strength to continue.

She had to listen to Amy telling her the bad news, her own devastated screaming and crying.

Then she accepted that calling reinforcement - Hank, was inevitable. It had gone too far.

Mary was dead and Edna might be soon as well if they didn't act quickly.

Lastly, Olivia showed him the letter that she had written to Amy to warn her and that's where her memories just ended.

Xavier let her mind go. His gaze sorrowful but it lacked pity. A single tear had fallen from his eye and he made no attempt at hiding it. Olivia saw him in a different light in that moment. He sort of reminded her of Mary. She had to look away.

There was a long silence while Xavier was telling her story to everyone. He made it so inside of their heads. It provided Olivia time to get herself together. Hank was still holding her hand, giving it an occasional squeeze.

Mina's eyes were troubled. Olivia's story brought back some painful memories of her own. By revealing her mutation to the world, she caused her parents' divorce and her mother committed a suicide because of her. She had a lot in common with Olivia. Mina spent months in hiding because she wasn't able to control her mutation. It all changed when she let people in and especially Logan. She now knew they were a gift and solitude with ignorance never helped solve anything.

Logan knew Mina's bad memories would resurface and followed Hank's example. He took Mina's hand in his and listened to the rest of what the woman was through. It was tough. Even he could admit that. His eyed showed respect. This Tanner girl survived it alone and without going mad. She was braver than she probably thought.

Hank wanted to stay strong for Olivia's sake. But he couldn't keep his cool. His feral side burned under his skin but he was more than just his mutation. His mother was in danger and maybe dead, he was still rational enough to think about that possibility. He wouldn't allow himself to turn to raging monster. His mother needed a smart version not the battle version of him. At least not yet.

The silence was beginning to be too long. Olivia wished it would end, which it did but not how she wanted it to.

A phone beeped, announcing a text message. At first, they weren't sure whose phone was it. Olivia took out hers ruefully. Her bad feeling was confirmed, it was the stalker.

"Time to meet, but can you find us before it's too late?"

She looked up. They were all waiting so Olivia read it out loud.

Hank was failing. He couldn't contain his form anymore.

Some parts of his skin turned blue but as quickly as it came, they changed back to his normal human shade.

He was holding it back because Olivia would be afraid. She was always terrified of him. He couldn't do this to her now.

This time it was Olivia who connected their hands. She gazed straight into his eyes, not minding their audience and said as genuinely as she could: "Let it out."

He slowly did and she was now staring into yellow eyes surround by a beautiful ocean of blue.

He was just as handsome as before. She didn't know why she couldn't see it back then.

Olivia didn't even flinch during his transformation. Her hand no longer touched his skin, but instead, she felt the extremely soft blue fur that covered it.


	17. Planning

Hank was a little calmer and with him, not tearing the whole aircraft down, everyone relaxed. None of them blamed him for losing his cool when his mother was in a grave danger.

It was crucial that they remained calm and collected. They had to come up with a plan which wouldn't endanger anyone and would ensure Edna's safe return. It wasn't the easiest thing but with Xavier's wise mind, Logan's experience - Olivia had the feeling he was way older than he looked, Hank's intelligence, Mina's fresh and cunning idea and Olivia's information, they had a fair chance of succeeding.

Logan didn't wait long and showered her with questions. He needed any information he could get. He asked about her suspects, her colleagues. He even wanted to know where all her supposed friends lived. Olivia was quite overwhelmed. It made her ponder if she didn't forget something or if she hadn't overheard an important thing.

Xavier felt her confusion and how hard she was trying so he helped her by telling Logan to slow down a bit, let her think properly.

Hank was silent ever since he transformed. He only listened and kept his ideas inside until Olivia was done.

She definitely found Marcus suspicious but not just him. Laura was shy, yes, but her weirdly good knowledge about mutations was as suspicious as Marcus' hateful remarks aimed at mutant community. Mina asked if there was anyone close to her when she was talking about her personal stuff, family and such. Olivia remembered that Laura was often in close proximity but she still lacked the motive.

"Olivia, it's important to know that bad people lie. They don't have anyone to stop them, not even their conscience." She looked at him. There was something behind his words, she could feel his hurt. He wasn't talking only about her colleagues.

Laura appeared nice, they shared several polite smiles and could survive in each other's company. Was it a lie?

In the process of planning came a new text message. "Tick, tock."

They still didn't know what to do. They had no idea how to find the culprit and without one, search for Edna was almost impossible.

Another hour passed and Hank got angry. He didn't speak up and suffered in silence. The sound of breaking metal caught their attention. Hank's hands were clutching the seat firmly. His head bowed down. The metal underneath him bent and he left long dents in it from his claws. Olivia had to calm him down once again. It seemed to work and his mind cleared enough, he was ready to do something, anything.

"Come on, you can do better! We can do better!" Mina held her head in her hands in frustration. They felt the same way, even though she was the one to say it out loud.

"We have to do something! Now..."

"Hank." Logan growled out a quiet warning.

Hank stood up from his seat next to Olivia. As much as she didn't want a fight to erupt, she was unable to hold him down. Seeing a huge blue man pacing around a small aircraft was nothing to seeing such a strong man with his eyes filled with misery.

"No, Logan, don't. She can be hurt, alone, tortured or even..." His voice broke before he uttered the word that they all knew was coming. He stared at them with his mouth open, his canines on display.

"Come here." Olivia outstretched her hand for him to take. She had no idea what she was doing or how to console him, but she was sure this was what she simply had to do.

He sat back with a small thud and sighed. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. You are worried about your mum, there is nothing wrong about it, or you. You have every damn right to be angry, cry or whatever, but do it later. We need the smart, caring Hank so pull it together, for Edna." It wasn't the best speech but Olivia was proud of herself. Hank's eyes cleared and he straightened up.

"Alright, I want to hear your ideas." He looked around. They were all quiet, though Mina had the strangest look. Hank knew that face, she often did it during classes, right before she figured the solution to the problem.

"No matter how crazy they may sound in your head," he added. His eyes aimed at Mina. She hesitated but spilled it out after she couldn't bear Hank's piercing yellow eyes on her anymore.

"What if you tracked her mind?" All heads snapped to her except for Logan's. She was always great with such ideas. They seemed ridiculous at first but most of them proved to be brilliant and worked. That impressive mind of hers spared him a lot of trouble.

It took professor Xavier at least half an hour. His eyes were tightly shut, drops of sweat rolled down his forehead. He was concentrating really hard and they just sat there silently so they wouldn't disturb his great efforts.

He located Edna in an older house in the forest, not so far from where they were. Oliva suddenly recalled a conversation she overheard between Marcus and Laura. The woman mentioned going out of town for the weekend. It could be connected.

Xavier found only four people there, including Edna. The fact that none of them were mutants made it whole lot easier. Hank dug out blueprints of the not so big house on his super computer. Olivia wondered how, probably not legally. She found herself not caring as long as it would help them bring Edna home.

Logan, with Mina's help, came up with a plan to enter the area unnoticed. Slip in, find Edna and get the hell out before they notice a single thing out of order. It was a solid, thorough plan. It would work. Or so they thought until a new message arrived. "I wonder what Amy and Daryl are up to."

Olivia froze in her seat. This changed everything. How could she totally forget about them? They needed some kind of protection. Saving Edna was the highest priority but leaving Amy and Daryl alone was just stupid. They would have to save them as well, it would be quite complicated.

Telling them to hide would be useless. These people or Laura, if it was really her, were dangerous and smart. They had figured out the way to protect themselves against Olivia's mutation. They had to make a new plan.

Dividing their small ranks was necessary, though Xavier got them some help. He reached mind of Scott, Olivia had no idea who that was, and told him to stay with her father and Marge. Just in case. Then the real planning begun.

Contacting and warning Amy and Daryl through phone was risky. Olivia knew pretty well that they listened to all her calls, probably same with the two. Luckily, Olivia knew where they lived and Xavier's power was vast. He easily found Amy locked in her house. Daryl wasn't in his house, most likely at his boyfriend's place. Olivia told his name to Hank and he found Liam's address on that super computer of his.

They knew where to go and who they had to protect. Now the only thing left was to split the team into three separate groups. There were just five of them.

"What do we do?" Olivia asked no one in the particular. She didn't know the powers they had so she couldn't decide who would go guard who.

"I need Mina to go with me for Edna. She can get in unnoticed." Hank took the lead, though Logan was quick to protest.

"Then I will go with her." His statement final but Hank wasn't stepping down from this fight.

"No, I have to be there. Edna... I just have to be there for her," the desperation shone in his eyes, "and I need Mina. She is a big girl Logan, you know she can overpower even you if she wanted."

Logan glanced at Mina, who was giving him a hard glare. She could take care of herself. She had her arms crossed in front of herself. As much as Mina liked the sweet overprotectiveness of his, there were boundaries. He was getting dangerously close.

"Hank is right, it's his mother, Logan." Xavier stepped in when the silence got a bit tense.

Now it was Logan who crossed his arms. "Alright, but damn it, if anything happens to her," he pointed his finger at Hank, "it's on you buddy."

He relaxed into his seat but his eyes remained at Hank. Mina rolled her eyes at this childish behavior. They were supposed to be friends. This bickering was just stupid and not helping the situation at all.

"I want to help but they already know how my mutation works, I'm basically defenseless against them." Olivia warned them in advance.

"We know, Miss Tanner. That's why Wolverine will go with you." Oli looked at the bulk man who argued with Hank not so long ago. His features appeared quite feral. She hadn't really noticed it earlier. She was too guilt driven to properly focus on his face. He had a strange haircut, style she had never seen before. Wasn't wolverine some kind of animal? She recalled hearing it somewhere.

She shook the thoughts out of her head and got back to the plan.

"Yeah, that... that would work."

"Fine, you wanna go to that Amy or Daryl?" Logan inquired from his seat. He didn't sound very willing but she ignored his behavior, he was still mad that he wasn't going with his girlfriend. Olivia understood his feelings. She would rather go with Hank. Nothing seemed unreachable or impossible with him around. But Oli would never want him to abandon his own mother just so she could feel safer.

"Amy, she must be freaking out right now." Olivia rubbed her forehead. She was getting headache from all this thinking. Maybe she shouldn't have left her that letter. What if there was no danger and she had just scared her? No, she couldn't forget the last note from the stalkers. Something might happen to her, it was good that she was warned ahead. Amy should be prepared for danger now that she was aware of it.

"That leaves me with Daryl and Liam as well." Xavier finished. The plan was complete. It was time to execute it.


	18. Bloody betrayal

A big gruff man with a strange hair was approaching her door. Amy stood petrified on the other side with the knives in her hands. She was frozen and couldn't move. She didn't dare look away from the peep hole. She feared that if she did, he might disappear and she preferred to see where this man was. He couldn't surprise her if he was constantly in her sight.

Amy was aware that this door was her only way out. It didn't seem like a problem when she had to lock every entrance just hours before. Now that her life was in danger she couldn't think of plan B. Her balcony didn't have a stairwell and she lived on the third floor. She wouldn't survive the jump even if there were some bushes directly under her window. But there weren't.

She focused on the man. He was inhumanly muscular. She wouldn't even dream of overpowering him. Maybe if she distracted him with something or called her neighbors. No, she couldn't put them in harm's way and police wouldn't get here soon enough. One glance at him and she doubted the door would hold him for long if he tried to fight his way in.

Her eyes welled up. She couldn't think of anything to do. Was this how it would all end? Amy swallowed her tears. She refused to cry or give up. When he got inside, and he would, she'd fight with all her might. Amy Clark was not giving up. She strengthened her grip on the knives and kept her eyes where she could see the man.

He stopped abruptly and Amy stiffened. He wasn't particularly careful with his steps, she could easily hear them. He was either not as good as she thought or it was his tactic to scare her further. If that was the case, it was working.

Amy heard that unfortunate step creek again. He wasn't alone. It couldn't be him since she could clearly see him stand just few feet from her door. She dreaded the person who was ascending the stairs towards her apartment.

She swore she had heard all the angels sing when the person finally appeared from behind the scary man. It was none other than her friend Olivia.

Amy dropped the knives and unlocked the door in the hurry. Her panic subsided now that she saw a familiar face and though she had never seen this man before, he was not important. Olivia didn't seem afraid or scared in any way. He wasn't the threat. Amy went back to Olivia's secret letter in her mind. The other woman mentioned Hank would come soon with reinforcements. This man definitely came off as a person who was able to fight. His bulging biceps looked like they could strangle anyone effortlessly.

"What the hell Oli! Who is this?" Amy glanced at the man but quickly returned her attention to Olivia when he glared at her. "I just had a heart attack!"

After Amy's accusation Olivia assured her that the guy, Logan, was on their side. Amy trusted her and wanted to believe her but he just had to keep sending her that cold stares. She hesitantly turned to him and was about to kindly ask him to stop it when his face cleared of all emotions and his head snapped to the left side where the stairs were. He had to hear something which they didn't and it made Amy shut up and listen more closely.

Everything then went wrong. He pushed Olivia into Amy in a swift motion. They couldn't anticipate his moves when he was the only one who knew what was happening. For a moment Amy thought that he wasn't on their side after all. Olivia hugged her during the fall, she was as oblivious to the situation as was Amy.

Amy grabbed Olivia's hands in an attempt to slow her fall somehow. Her try was unsuccessful since Olivia lost her balance as well when Logan pushed her. They landed on the floor of her apartment. Olivia hit her elbow on the door in the process.

Olivia was first to act. She pushed herself from frozen Amy and tried to drag her deeper into the room. Amy was in such an adrenalin rush that she couldn't feel the pain. She slightly registered someone calling her name but as soon as she glanced down on the blood, the voice disappeared. The red blood stained her whole leg from knee down and there was a trail of smeared blood near the threshold because someone was carrying her on the ground.

The pain erupted in her calf. The whole situation was so overwhelming. Her head spinned but she tried to focus on other things beside the pain. She heard worried screams of Olivia behind her. There was one of the knives that she dropped upon seeing Olivia when she came. It was stained in her blood, as were her pajama bottoms. She immediately turned away.

Amy wasn't the only one bleeding. In front of her she saw Logan. He stood right in the door. Her mind was playing tricks on her because Logan looked twice as big as when she had first seen him. The blood loss was a great enemy and though she was more lightheaded with every passing second, Amy finally comprehended the whole situation.

She heard the shots being fired but couldn't see the bullets hitting anything around her or who was shooting. It wasn't Logan nor Olivia. It soon became clear to her that Logan was some kind of mutant and was shielding them with his own body.

Under his legs was a huge puddle of blood and the trail that she left in her entrance hall was nothing compared to how much blood he had lost. He didn't scream or move. He was unaffected by the bullets that hit him like it was nothing. It was the only possible solution, the bullets couldn't disappear into a thin air. He took every one of them and if Amy didn't know he was mutant she would think that the cut wasn't the only injury she sustained. He wasn't giving away any discomfort, it was left to her imagination.

Few more shots were fired but Logan didn't flinch. Amy could guess by now that the shooter was near the stairs. The sudden silence followed and both Amy and Olivia kept quiet and waited. Logan's chuckle ended the silence. The sick sound of human flesh being torn came right after. Amy stared open mouthed at long metal claws that had literally cut through his knuckles.

"Twelve." Logan uttered and charged himself at the person who was shooting at them. Amy saw it all happen in a slow motion but it all took Logan less than a minute. The shooter wasn't quick enough to reload his gun.

Logan was incredibly fast. Amy had barely registered his hand moving up and slashing something with his dangerously sharp claws. From her position inside the apartment, her view was limited but the long splash of blood on the wall that followed Logan's charging assured her that the threat had been dealt with. No way someone could survive that and she would bet all her money on that blood not being Logan's.

Amy got up on her legs with the help of Olivia. Her calf was on fire and all she wanted to do was sleep but she had to go and look at the person who tried to rob her of her own life. She knew that slashed throat or whatever Logan did to that person wasn't anything particularly nice but she just had to see the face of the man or woman who had enough nerve to kill her.

She made the first step but the pain was unbearable when she moved the injured leg. When the adrenalin rush was gone, she felt every inch of her flesh. It was like her leg was cut open all over again with every step she took.

Amy couldn't bear it and fell back down on her knees and elbows. She was exhausted, in pain and still quite shook by everything that was going on.

Olivia ran the short distance to help her and kicked the knives to the corner where they wouldn't hurt anyone. From her position on the ground, Amy finally saw the assailant.

The hot neighbor whose name she had never learned was lying there in his own blood. There was so much blood everywhere. Her stomach twisted upon the sight but she felt sick not only because of that. She was betrayed by this stranger. She shouldn't feel anything towards him, especially now but she couldn't help the instant attraction she felt for him when they met. He was so mysterious and handsome.

Back then, Amy was so sure he was flirting with her but now, she could see the bigger picture. He didn't send her any sexy grins. He was merely making fun of her. She blushed involuntarily. He must have seen her like a stupid girl, who tried to flirt with him while he was checking her out and probably pondering of a best way to end her life.

Her eyes were opened. It was no random meeting. They had never really collided, maybe only on her part but he had it all planned out. He was learning her routine and habits. He was preparing for her murder and she waved at him.

It was so unexpected, she wouldn't ever suspect him. It didn't make sense that her hot neighbor would want to hurt her. Her impression of him, that he was hitting on her, was so wrong. After all that had happened this night, Amy was no longer angry at Olivia for not telling her the truth sooner. She didn't hold it against her that she had suspected all her friends, Amy included. Olivia knew them for a short period of time, she couldn't be sure who to trust. The mysterious guy seemed like a fine man. Amy would never guess him to be a killer. You never truly knew the person you were talking with.

Amy yelped in surprise as someone picked her up from the ground. She felt so betrayed and understanding at the same time that she lost the focus on the things that were happening around her. She was ready to fight anyone who dared touch her, but seeing it was Logan, who by now proved to be not a friend but at least an ally, she relaxed and let him take her to the couch.

His shirt was full of holes and stained in blood but she couldn't see any wounds in his skin. He had to have some healing abilities. How she wished to borrow some of those right now.

She flinched in his arms when she remembered the sharp metal claws but she calmed down when she looked at his hand under her knees and saw nothing. No trace, not even a single scratch.

Amy hissed loudly when he put her down. He had accidentally brushed her leg and thousands of needles suddenly stung her. She was trying to not feel the pain - it was all in her brain, but she couldn't. Who was she kidding? She wasn't able to stay still for a longer time, she definitely wouldn't be able to just let go of pain like some Vulcan.

Logan examined her leg quickly while Olivia brought water and towels. He tore her bloody pajama off of her and cleaned the wound. It stung terribly and Amy had to grind her teeth in order to keep her mouth shut.

The ceiling above her head started to spin too fast and she had to close her eyes to stop the sick feeling that crept inside of her. She opened her eyes after few seconds but it didn't do anything. She saw colorful dots flying everywhere so she shut them back.

"... stitches and proper bandages." Deep voice said. She could hear that voice repeating some words over and over again but she couldn't comprehend their meaning. She knew what he was saying but she couldn't focus, the information didn't reach her mind.

Someone shook her by her shoulders and she finally opened her eyes. Olivia was too close to her face for her liking and saying those words. It couldn't be her before. Her voice was nowhere near as deep as the previous one.

"Where do you have bandages? Amy, focus, bandages! Where are they?" Her face was getting more and more desperate.

"What?" Amy couldn't hear properly. She just wanted to close her eyes and take a short nap. Why couldn't they let her rest for a while?

"Bandages Amy! Where do you keep them? Bathroom, kitchen, bedroom? Just tell me where!"

She finally registered the word they kept on saying. It was bandages, of course. Her leg was bleeding, they needed them and since it was Amy's apartment, she was the only one who knew their location.

"Kitchen, first cabinet on the right. Wait, no. On the left. Yeah, there." She muttered sleepily. Olivia didn't wait for her to finish. As soon as she heard 'on the left', she hurried to the kitchen and rummaged through half of the cabinets until she had found what she was looking for.

Amy lost focus on Olivia when her wound started to hurt even more. It was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open and we she did leave them open, black spots clouded her vision. She was slowly drifting off as someone was tightly patching up her calf.

Amy opened her eyes. There was no one around her and her leg didn't hurt that much anymore. The sharp stabbing pain dulled when she was unconscious. She pushed herself up on her elbows so she could locate Olivia or Logan. The last thing she remembered was talking about bandages and then came the pain and the blackness. She was momentarily confused and didn't know how long she had been out. It felt like eternity.

"Oli?" She asked groggily and heard shuffling of her curtains. Olivia was looking out of the window but quickly returned to her side.

"How are you feeling?" Amy was feeling so much better but Olivia's face brought up some guilt. She didn't mean for this to happen, Oli had to understand that and it also wasn't anyone's fault. The only person to blame for this was that freaking hot neighbor and he already got what he deserved.

"Peachy." Amy moved to sitting position and hissed silently when the movement caused her leg to brush against the surface of the couch. "What did I miss? And where is Logan?" She let her confusion show.

"You were out for almost an hour. Logan, he... well, he got rid of the body." Olivia's face paled but she continued. "He went out to secure the perimeter, his words not mine. He wanted to make sure that no one will surprise us when we leave your place."

"Wait what? Leave? But I can barely walk!"

"Exactly! Logan is checking if he can carry you out without any interruptions. We just have to wait for him to return." Amy sighed. She didn't want to be anyone's burden. But there was nothing she could do unless she wanted to jump three flights of stairs on one leg. It was achievable but quite time consuming and they lacked the time.

For now, there was nothing to do besides waiting so Amy started talking. This was the perfect opportunity to learn everything she needed to know about this Olivia's stalker and the actual attacks. The information she got from her in the letter was limited and she wished to know the details and who to blame, who was the mastermind behind it all. Olivia had a lot of talking ahead of herself.

xXx

Daryl was leaning into Liam's half hug and watching a Star Wars marathon with his boyfriend. Everything was perfect and even though it was his favorite franchise he hadn't really paid enough attention. His mind was full of the gorgeous man beside him. When he brought him along for a night out with Olivia and Amy, it was merely a crush but the girls staged everything and left them alone. Right there, Daryl got to know the true Liam and he couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity he got. He couldn't stop the smile that crept to his lips.

"I don't think that was funny." Liam looked down at him from his position and then back to the television to make sure that he hadn't missed anything.

"It probably wasn't." Daryl didn't even have to look at the movie, he knew what was happening thanks to the sound. It wasn't his favorite movie for nothing. He adjusted his glasses and continued grinning at Liam.

Liam rolled his eyes but laughed as well. "Don't you dare say something cheesy!"

They both burst out laughing and stopped only when it hurt to breathe. The ringing of the doorbell interrupted their fun and since it was Liam's house, Daryl stayed on the couch and stopped the movie while wiping the tears from all the laughing.

Liam opened the door and his smile instantly froze. He was justly surprised to see professor Xavier by his door after such a long time. When Liam was twelve he had something that people might call accident. His parents and friends couldn't find him anywhere when he was actually under water. He got his ankle trapped in the rocks when he was diving. He made the mistake of swimming far away and no one knew where.

It took five adults and six kids to find him. They were all crying when one of them screamed that he found the boy. They thought he would be dead. Liam was trapped down there for more than half an hour. No one could survive that long under water. Unless they were mutant.

Liam was scared and tried to free his leg but as it was getting harder to stay conscious and he made no progress, the young boy started to panic and soon he was shouting with all his might.

He was supposed to drown and die, but life had something else planned for him. He could breathe just as easily as when he was on the shore. He was twelve and couldn't grasp the concept of mutants from simply hearing occasional mention of their community in the news.

He was terrified at the moment and as cool as turning to Aquaman sounded, he never returned to water. After that traumatic experience, Liam was unable to go for a swim and even bigger bathtubs made him shudder.

The miraculous survival of a small boy was a big thing and his family tried really hard to keep it a secret but the story somehow reached the ears of one man who changed lives of many mutants. Though Liam wasn't one of them.

His parents refused to let their son attend Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. His mutation wasn't visible and easily hidden. He didn't need to attend some fancy private school. It simply wasn't necessary. So Xavier along with the other teacher, Mr. Summers, left and never contacted them further until now.

Daryl came to the door, too, to see what was taking Liam so long. Upon seeing him, Xavier admitted that he actually arrived because of Daryl. Liam was positively intrigued when Xavier spoke some more. "It would be safer inside, don't you think?" His words were a warning but his voice was as calming as Liam had remembered.

They helped him inside and he shortly explained Olivia's situation. They were horrified but Liam still didn't understand why Xavier was here so he chose to be straightforward and asked him.

"Olivia thinks Daryl, as her friend, might be in possible danger from people who selected her as their victim. He wouldn't be the first one to get caught in an unfortunate accident. And I am always glad to help out a fellow mutant." Daryl brushed the last sentence off, thinking it was all about Olivia. But Liam wasn't so calm. He was worried for Daryl and the remark didn't escape his notice. He paled and gulped loudly.

Daryl turned to him with a worried expression and Liam admitted the truth. He was the mutant Xavier mentioned, not Olivia.

Xavier wheeled out of the room to give them at least impression of space. He remarked it on purpose. He could feel their feelings and thoughts even if he didn't listen to them on purpose. The hidden information would cause issues in the future and he felt Liam's anxiety. The man needed to say it.

Liam was having a hard time explaining his reasons for not telling him sooner. Daryl would understand but Liam didn't want to scare him off so early into dating. It wasn't anything cool as weather control anyway. And not to mention pretty useless since he was afraid of water.

They hugged it out at last and promised to get back to it when there was no murderous stalker running loose.

Daryl then asked Xavier if he wanted to watch the movie with them.

"No, you go enjoy it. I need a clear mind, just in case someone unwanted pays us a visit. And besides, I prefer Star Trek." The old man winked and his face went blank. He was already deep in his mind.

xXx

Hank was in his Beast form for quite some time and turning back human wasn't a good idea now that he and Mina were approaching the house in the woods.

His mutation enabled him to walk silently and when Mina was invisible, she couldn't make any sound.

The house was only few meters away. Hank couldn't see Mina but he knew she was near him. His senses were highlighted when he was Beast and though her invisibility covered any sounds she made, individuals like Logan and Hank could smell her scent.

They planned everything to the last detail so when it was time to separate, he wasn't worried. He could trust Mina and she would bring Edna to him, unharmed.

They guessed it would take her approximately two and a half minute to locate Edna inside the house. Hank gave her the signal to go and started counting while searching for the three guards that were supposed to be outside. She avoided them and slipped past undetected.

Hank noticed three cars parked on the entry road. There might be more than those three estimated guards that Charles found. But they plan would still work, only more caution was required.

The second minute flew by and Mina's time limit was quickly approaching. Her head start was over. He had to follow his part of the plan.

He tiptoed to the guy who held an assault rifle in his hands. He attacked him from behind and choked him until he went limp in his arms. He checked his pulse just to make sure that he would stay unconscious. Hank didn't plan on killing anyone even though these were the people who threatened his mother. He would never kill and become one of them. Before he moved to take out the next guard, Hank picked up the weapon and hid it behind a tree into a long grass. It couldn't be used. Their plan was built on the silent surprise tactic.

The other guard had no idea what happened to his colleague and continued strolling down the west side of the house. Hank crept over to him from behind just as he did to the other man. But this one didn't get scared by the blue beast so easily and fought harder.

He managed to push the trigger. Hank ditched the choking and hit him over the head. It was faster but the single shot had been already fired. Alarm went off immediately.


	19. Keep fighting

Mina heard the shot and knew that their plan was in a serious danger. The alarm followed just as she anticipated. Her only hope now was that Hank had enough time to take down all the guards and the one who had fired was already dealt with. Not dead, just unconscious. She disliked thinking about killing and even though it was sometimes a part of her line of work, she didn't have to be content with it and tried to avoid the unnecessary murder. Her part of the plan was almost done. She turned back visible so Edna wouldn't be scared. Mina knew she would if the things started to randomly move on its own. She had seen plenty of horrors and could think of many possibilities as why the things would levitate. Mutant who was basically stranger was not one of them.

The visibility made her vulnerable for the time she needed to untie Edna but it couldn't be avoided. If someone came, she would have a hard time fighting them off. Mina was good at stealth missions. Her style was just like her mutation. Silent, but dangerous when needed. Hand to hand combat was never her strong side. She had advantage of invisibility and silent moving but after some time her moves became predictable for her opponent and the invisibility was no longer helping as much as she would wish. Logan proved that numerous times.

Edna was fortunately unhurt. Getting her out would be challenging if Edna was bleeding, not only it would make Mina's stomach twist, the blood would be still visible and tip them off. Mina would also be afraid that while she would have to carry Edna, she might hurt her further. Seeing her mostly fine was a huge relief. She was no doctor but Hank had taught her some basics. She could tell that Edna was in no apparent pain and didn't seem disoriented, just sleepy. Her clothes were intact so Mina believed they kept her as a bait or a mean of threat but not for torture or for getting information.

Mina made herself work faster because of the alarm. Something must have gone wrong with Hank's part. She didn't doubt him but even if their plan was perfect, there was always a possibility of some minor changes and problems. There were simply too many variables in an equation and anything could take a drastic turn. The important part was to follow the plan as closely as one could and adapt to the changes that the interruption caused. The shot was fired outside and as far as she knew, no one saw her entering. They couldn't since they all were merely humans with a regular smelling abilities. She didn't have to change her part of the plan just yet.

No guards interrupted them. Edna was free and not injured but still unable to walk alone. She had been tied to that chair for hours without food and water. And they surely hadn't let Edna stretch her legs. Mina had to take one of Edna's arms and place it over her head so she wouldn't stumble and fall back to the chair. Edna immediately leaned on her for support. Her legs trembled but she managed to stand still with the help. Mina wasn't sure if she could carry Edna entirely if she suddenly fainted. She wasn't as strong as Hank or as any other male her age for that matter.

Making both of them invisible wasn't problematic. Mina had already mastered that mutation. She could make plenty things invisible if she tried, even five people at once or a whole room. Of course not at the beginning. Her mutation was quite unique, or that was what Hank claimed. He had found it fascinating. She had two mutations which may be similar but actually it was quite unusual for someone to have more than one mutation and another oddity was that it only appeared long after she was a kid.

Furthermore, it happened so randomly she wasn't even aware of it. She was reading a book in her dorm. It wasn't ignited by any traumatic event and Hank, along with Mina couldn't figure out the reason why it came so late and from nothing. She thought it was psychological. Her parents were strict and racists. Her father was a big supporter of anything antimutant.

She trained with Logan and other residents of school who soon became her good friends. The Danger Room that Hank created provided simulations of real battles that had taught her a lot, especially team work, but it wasn't enough. She needed to learn to control her powers before actual fighting. Hank came up with awesome exercises designed directly for her. She could turn on and off her invisibility even in her sleep and making other things or people invisible with her was no longer exhausting.

They exited the room in which Edna was kept right through the door which no one bothered to lock. They got to the hall. Mina recognized the structure of the small house. She was looking at the blueprints for a long time to know that right in front of them was a small bathroom and on their left was only one room, probably a bedroom or an office of some sorts. Mina had the building plans all in her head and the next step was to take the stairs.

They easily made it down. Well it wasn't simple to drag Edna with her but no one was inside the house besides them and that implied that Hank managed to follow his part of the plan to the end. Or he was at least keeping them busy.

Only few steps remained to the main exit door when they suddenly burst open. Mina acted instinctively and pushed herself, together with Edna, several steps back. They got dangerously close to the stairs but no one would surprise them from above anyway. She was positive there wasn't anyone else, because they'd come to check Edna as soon as the alarm went off.

Mina couldn't be seen but she was still present and if the person would collide with them, they would be exposed.

A woman came through. She was of slender figure but heavily armed with a machine gun in her hands and some small knives around her waist on a special belt.

Mina stopped for a minute. She had to think. Edna didn't move for another reason. She was petrified. She gained enough conscience to register what was happening and glanced at Mina with a terrified expression. Though Mina hadn't registered her companion and instead contemplated the solution for this problem.

"Mrs. McCoy, she can't hear us. We have to move to the side, quickly!" Mina insisted after being unable to drag the older woman out of the way herself. They stood directly in front of the stairs and it was most likely the way that the woman with gun would take.

As if it wasn't enough, she aimed the dangerous weapon right at them as if she could actually see them. That was impossible. Mina had to basically carry Edna out of there. She was right, the woman didn't see them or else the aim of her gun would move with them. She was likely just waiting for them to ascend the stairs, thinking they would try to escape through the main door. She was right but didn't know that they already did so and stood in front of her face.

Mina looked out of the window. It wasn't very high. The door was blocked and there was no escape from the second floor. On the other side was another room and door to the basement and the blueprints showed no other escape routes.

She had to use her second mutation on them. It was risky and even though Mina had enough practice it didn't come so easy to her. Managing her invisibility was nowhere near as hard as controlling phasing. She was about to phase through the wall and take Edna with her. The first person she phased with her was Logan and he was also the one who always trained it with her. If he got hurt, he would heal quickly but Edna wouldn't.

Mina checked the window again, no one was out there. Hank must have dealt with the guards outside but the woman's arrival could mean that more men came and if they were even half as armed as she was, new adjustments to their plan would be necessary. It was now or never.

They landed on the hard ground. The grass hardly provided any help with easing the fall. Mina's whole side hurt from landing and her ribs burned. She must have bruised them, but the window wasn't high enough for the fall to cause any broken bones.

Mina didn't land on Edna nor Edna on her. She would attempt to do that but she acted quickly and forgot to properly consider how the hard landing would affect Edna as an older woman but also as energy deprived. It, of course, flashed through her mind but the wall was the only way she could think of.

Edna was unmoving on the ground. Mina was quick to check her pulse and breathing. She wasn't dead, but the fall was the last straw for her and she could no longer remain conscious.

Mina was aware that they were no longer invisible and attempted to lift Edna up, but she wasn't strong enough. Even if Mina was fresh of the bed with ten hours of sleep and a big healthy breakfast, she wouldn't be able to carry the unconscious woman. After she focused her energy into phasing them out, she was drained. Phasing was a complicated process and many things could go wrong. She could get stuck in the wall or not make them solid before hitting ground and they would be buried alive.

Mina was pushing her up with all her might but she barely managed to get Edna to sitting position. The total non-cooperation didn't help. By the time Mina got Edna to wake up because she obviously couldn't do this alone, two guards emerged from the corner of the house.

They had weapons at ready and run towards them. Upon closer look, they slowed down. Both Mina and Edna were exhausted so the guards didn't need to run anymore. They posed no apparent threat even if they were the source of the alarm. The guards aimed at them and thought that was a sufficient warning. The women wouldn't dare to try anything and they were too weak anyway.

Mina instinctively moved in front of Edna while the guards prepared to aim. It was her last attempt at keeping Edna safe. She put her hands to the air so they wouldn't have an excuse to shoot them right away and pondered the ways to get them out of this mess. They would bring them back inside and tie them. Back to square one.

The guards were only few steps away when a shadow appeared at the corner of the house. Mina didn't flinch when the silhouette got closer. Hank tiptoed to the guards and Mina was careful not to look at him so she wouldn't spoil his attack.

He was directly in between the guards and waited for something. Mina made a quick eye contact and figured what it was. He wanted to make sure that the men wouldn't suddenly open fire. So she waited for the right moment.

They put the guns down to pick them up from the ground. It was so close, just a few inches and the guns would be out of their reach.

Mina barely nodded her head and threw herself at Edna. She was ready to shield her from any bullets in case their silent plan failed, but they never came. She opened her eyes and released Edna after making sure it was okay. Hank stood in front of them with bloody claws and both men lying on the ground under his legs.

One of them was still conscious and reached for his gun but Hank didn't allow it. He silenced the guard with a swift kick to the head.

Mina stared at him as he knelt down to touch the man's neck. He did so to the both men and stood up.

"Are they... ?" Mina asked him in a quiet voice when he approached them. She had never seen him like this - so deadly and determined. All she got for an answer was emotionless 'they're fine'.

His expression softened upon seeing his mother alive. He knelt beside her to check for any injuries. While he did that, Mina moved to the side so he would have enough space. She needed to regain some of the energy she lost while phasing them out of the house and since Hank was occupied, Mina took it upon herself to look out for any more interruptions.

Hank outstretched his hand to Mina. She accepted the help, standing up seemed like a hard task after everything that they went through, especially the fall. The only thing that made her a little hesitant to touch him was the blood on his hands. She knew it was inevitable to hurt the guards and they weren't dead but she still didn't like the moist feel his touch provided. She wiped her hands right after he let go.

Hank effortlessly lifted Edna up in his arms. He was careful with her even after he made sure she wasn't injured. He didn't want to expose her to any more discomfort. Hank then turned his attention to Mina.

"Can you cover us?" He pointed his yellow eyes at her. Making them invisible was their original plan but she never expected she would have to phase with Edna. Mina was silent for a second, pondering over the idea and if she was able to do it in this state.

"I can handle it," she sighed, "but I can provide max few minutes."

Hank nodded solemnly, he was aware her powers had limits but those minutes were enough. They had to be.

She held his elbow and nodded to indicate she was ready. The transparent cover of invisibility surrounded the three of them and they took off running. It was exhausting after fighting, phasing and plenty of falling but they managed to keep up a steady pace until they were far enough to slow down.

Hank made sure none of the guards would follow them for at least few hours so they were safe. The only problem was the woman. She slipped right through their fingers, but she wasn't important at the moment. The goal of the mission was to get Edna to safety and it was also their top priority. They would handle one problem at a time.

Hank looked down at Edna in his arms. She showed no signs of injury, only dehydration and exhaustion. She would be alright in no time. He was careful not to move with her very much but it was quite difficult during running. After they slowed down, Hank adjusted his grip on her and checked Mina.

She was heavily panting but he saw no blood. He knew how capable she could be but even the best soldiers got tired and Mina had done a lot during this mission. Hank was sure she had to phase them out of there. There was no other explanation. The window was closed and clearly not broken and they couldn't have just appeared outside. Their plan already consisted of her phasing in and the second time must have been quite energy consuming. She would need to rest as well even if she had obviously nothing broken, which was great.

Hank's intervention seemed like the only logical thing to do but he didn't doubt Mina's wise mind. She carried out the mission successfully and when the issue arose, she quickly adapted and managed to save Edna. If he didn't help, they'd be captured but Mina would eventually find a way out. Despite the fact that she could harm herself, he was sure she'd still be able to perform adequately and rescue herself and Edna.

She was young and determined to save those she cared about and albeit this was the first time she met Edna, Hank knew she was willing to help because of him. When she came to Xavier's school, desperate and alone, she found in Hank what she missed for a long time. Someone who was there for her. Not like Xavier who provided a home or like Logan. Hank was her teacher at first but after the long hours of deciphering her mutations and learning to control it, he became her mentor or even a father figure. He was there for her as he was to every other student but she was now not only that. She was his friend and fellow X-man. Mina was one of the people he trusted with his mother's life.

They made it to the jet. Mina threw herself to the seat, not caring about anything. It felt so good to finally stop, to give her muscles a break after a tough day. She closed her eyes but didn't allow herself to drift away. She refused to let the fatigue affect her. This was going to be a long night. With a sigh, Mina straightened up in her seat and put the seatbelt on. Flying in this thing was safe unless someone was shooting at them or attacking with any other kind of weapon and superpowers. That was pretty unlikely now, but she still didn't want to fall out of the seat, her ribs would kill her if she did.

"Henry..." His head snapped to Edna. He dropped the seatbelt and paid his full attention to her.

"Where does it hurt?" He needed to make sure there was nothing he missed. She could have an internal bleeding as far as he knew. Edna was still not conscious enough to answer. She kept on moving her eyes from side to side as if she couldn't see him even though he was right in front of her.

He held her face in his hands. "Focus, what hurts?"

Her eyes cleared a little and he could almost see what was currently playing inside her head. She remembered what happened but he doubted her memories of this rescue mission were untouched. "Everywhere." Edna closed her eyes, hoping the pain would subside if she fell asleep.

"I know, but I need you to be more specific!" Hank was as calm as he could. He knew it wasn't her fault that she was tired but the information, that not even Mina could provide, were essential. He wouldn't move away from her until he was sure she was indeed alright.

"Just tired," she muttered, already drifting off.

"Don't close your eyes, mum, you can't do that," he warned her. Mina would have to talk to her while he piloted the jet. He ordered her to do so. Mina was exhausted but she could stay up for a few more minutes. Hank didn't need to tell her twice. She immediately started asking Edna simple questions like what color was her bedroom.

Hank hurried to his seat and didn't bother with the belt. They took off seconds later and he informed Xavier through the mental link of their condition. All of them agreed to meet at McCoys' house where Hank could easily land with the jet.

He now had about ten minutes to himself. He was worried about Edna and Norton, but they would be alright. Another person who he couldn't stop worrying about was Olivia. When she called him, he was surprised but also happy. He waited for a call that never came and he lost hope. Hank thought that she was no longer afraid of him, that she wasn't angry that he had to manhandle her when she was running from the cops on the day they had met, but he must have been wrong.

However excited he got when his phone announced unknown caller, the call itself made him lose even the last drop of the hope. She didn't need him, she didn't want him, she just needed help and he was probably the only mutant besides Xavier whom she knew. He even gave her his number.

At first, he didn't like her attitude but he soon learned that it was merely an act. She didn't want people to get close and he understood. A lot of mutants were just like her in this matter. They couldn't control their mutations so they rather avoided situations that could compromise them. He didn't do anything about it after Charles failed at enrolling her into school. He knew she was adult but she could live there, many older mutants did, and learn to control herself.

He treated her injury and showed her a room where she could stay but that was it. He didn't know what to say so he left, hoping that she would accept Xavier's offer and he would have a chance to talk to her again.

She intrigued him. Her mutation was interesting and worth learning about but that wasn't it. Her personality really got him thinking, she was like two different people. Everything she said was sarcastic, planned ahead or border line offensive, but when he showed up at her back yard in his full glory, she turned to a lost, terrified child. The fear in her eyes was so radiant, he hated that look. When he fought bad guys, it didn't matter, it was an advantage, but when she looked at him like that, something in him broke and he got distracted, allowing her to overpower him easily.

She had awakened tons of contradictory feelings inside him and when she left, he couldn't stop the disappointment.

Hank didn't like his mother's matchmaking and the painting she arranged was just that. Never in his dreams would he imagine Olivia Tanner waiting for him with paint and brushes ready. What were the odds, really? She slammed the door but the emotions he had felt resurfaced and he couldn't just turn around and leave.

Days that they'd spent together were so far from what he expected. She tried not to talk much but failed and he learned a lot. She was sarcastic but not to the point where she was offending anybody, it was just her defense system and she soon revealed a real humor and with it her deeper, more caring side. He felt special for being the person who she could openly talk to.

Hank had to return to New York on Monday. The previous day, when he somehow managed to invite her to dinner was great. He was too distracted by her genuine smiles and forgot to give her his number when she was leaving. He wanted her to have it and even if Edna scolded him for acting so cowardly - it really was an accident but she didn't listen - he didn't want to wake Olivia up. He decided to trust his mother to pass it.

After days of waiting, he was still optimistic and didn't mind the lack of her calls. The essays, piled up on his table in numerous stacks, kept him busy. As the weeks went by, his optimism died out. It didn't take him long to realize that he wanted her to call, not because he considered her friend but because she opened his heart to things he hadn't felt for a long time and then she crushed it.

She was scared out of her mind when she called him, so without any explanation provided, he took off to Illinois. Even if he was the last option, Hank would still go without thinking twice. After all, it was him who said that if she had a problem, it took one call and help would arrive.

Everything that followed was so messed up and he couldn't wait to finally see her and make sure she was okay. He alarmed Xavier right after the car crash and then flew straight to Olivia.

He saw her before they landed. Her long black hair furiously whipped around from the wind caused by the jet. She was already waiting for them and moved out of the way. Hank noticed that she wasn't standing on her property but instead, on his parents'. He paid it no real attention, she would explain everything.

The aircraft barely touched the ground and Hank already stood by the small door, waiting for it to open. Others had just started unfastening their seatbelts. They were so slow but in comparison to them, the door moved slower than a snail. Hank thought it would never open and when it finally did, he didn't bother waiting for the short stairs. Jump from such a height was nothing for a mutant of his kind.

He hurried to Olivia upon seeing her troubled face, he didn't stop to consider if she wanted his attention or not. All he cared about was Olivia and how to make her smile again. What he felt when she raced into his arms was indescribable.

It all came crashing down when she told him about his parents. He wanted to hold her close and whisper calming lines to her ears but he couldn't get distracted when his father was unconscious and his mother kidnapped.

Hank pressed several buttons on the board and adjusted his grip on the control wheel. He hadn't even realized he turned back to his human form.

XxX

Olivia was pacing in the McCoys' living room, she couldn't stay still and stopped the nervous movement only after Amy insisted on it because it made her head spin.

She threw herself to one of the identical pair of arm chairs and sighed. This waiting was excruciating. She trusted Hank and his ability to bring Edna back, but Olivia still couldn't forget the fact that she caused this - all of it. She didn't dare think what would happen to her, or Amy, if Logan wasn't with them. There was non-existent chance of the two of them defending themselves against that man.

"Shouldn't they be here already? At least Daryl? You said that you planned to meet here. They are already half an hour late. Do you think...?" Amy first glanced at the watch, hanging just above the door but her curious remarks soon turned to something darker.

Olivia immediately snapped out of her mind. Did she forget to mention that Xavier needed a wheelchair? They could easily come upon some problems with that. They didn't necessarily have to be in danger or attacked. It was the situation that made them paranoid and see things that weren't actually there.

She assured Amy that it was likely nothing, but Amy was having none of that. After all, she was the one with cut leg. Olivia had to tell her about Xavier's mutation in order to keep her at bay. He was the strongest mutant she had ever met, not like that number was big, but still. His kind demeanor hid his godly abilities. He could control people with his mind, for goodness' sake! If they should be worried about someone, it should be them not Daryl and Liam.

Logan returned to the house, he wanted to make sure Amy wouldn't bleed out until Hank got back and got a proper look at her leg. Olivia was in McCoys' house several times so she recalled where the bedroom was and took one of Norton's flannel shirts for Logan. Norton surely wouldn't mind and having Logan walking around in a tank top with holes and galleons of dried blood wasn't a particularly nice sight to behold.

Professor Xavier arrived with Daryl and even Liam not long after Amy complained about them being late. They were all perfectly fine, but the tension in the house grew with their arrival. Olivia couldn't pinpoint why until Daryl cautiously reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and handed her the white envelope. He held it as if it was a bomb, ready to explode any second. In a way, he was right. They had no idea what kind of dreadful message it contained.

She stared at it in anticipation but couldn't get herself to open it just yet. What if something happened to Hank and that young woman – Mina, who accompanied him? She drifted off into the terrible scenarios until someone forcefully took the envelope out of her hands.

Logan tore it open. They all looked at him with a surprised expressions but no one said anything. He wasn't the victim of her stalker but he had all the rights to do that. Olivia realized that the woman she was thinking of was a person he loved and he never struck her as a patient type anyway.

He scanned the text with his eyes. His faced remained blank. Olivia couldn't tell what was in the message and was ready to snatch the paper from him, but he surprised her by simply giving it to her.

Olivia couldn't believe what she was reading. She read every single line twice just to be sure she got it all properly. Hank must have been alright. The message was short but it served its purpose. After a long time, Olivia smiled. Amy, who couldn't possibly see the content of the message from her spot, kept asking what was written inside so Olivia read it out loud so everyone, not only her and Logan would know.

"You might have won this time, but there are many mutants. You weren't the first one and not the last by far." It was dark and a threat just like others but she couldn't care less right now. They admitted their loss which had to mean that Hank got away and was on his way here with Edna and Mina in tow. Some other mutants were mentioned but as selfish as it sounded, she didn't think about them for too long. She was too happy wondering what her life would look like now, that it was almost over. Olivia suffered enough. She deserved a moment of happiness.

While Olivia was occupied with pondering her future, Logan eyed Daryl suspiciously and questioned him about the envelope. He wasn't about to let his guard down until the stalker was out of game. Xavier had to defend him and even if Logan didn't easily trust strangers, Charles was his old friend so he listened to him and let it go. Logan's face showed nothing but his body was something else. He covered his anxiety pretty well, but Xavier could tell he was worried. His stiff shoulders and balled fists indicated his true feelings.

They heard the jet coming when it was about to land. Olivia could make out Hank's outline upon glancing at the jet's tiny cockpit. He seemed to be alright.

Everyone immediately gathered outside. Although Xavier told them about Hank's mental message, it was short and missed details. All they knew was that Hank and his team mates were alive and mission was successful, even if not run as planned.

Logan was standing in the first line, waiting as anxiously as Olivia, but he was better at hiding it. She was biting her lower lip and couldn't wait to see Edna. She was alive and that was crucial but Olivia cared about the woman. She would despise herself if anything bad happened to her while being a captive. Surviving wasn't that important if the torture or kidnapping broke the person mentally. Mind was considerably harder to repair than broken bones or torn muscles.

Hank carried Edna out as soon as the engines of the jet stopped. Logan jumped into the aircraft just as Hank cleared the way. Olivia wanted to follow Hank inside the house where he took Edna but she felt like she'd intrude. She wouldn't be surprised if he blamed her for what happened. Even she blamed herself. Olivia was looking at her feet, guilt and fears twisting her thoughts until she remembered injured Amy. Even if Hank didn't want to see her right now, she needed to see him. He was the only person, capable enough to treat Amy's leg. She'd not let the awkwardness get into the way of Amy's recovery.

Hank didn't spare her a single glance when they returned. Olivia only hoped he wouldn't shout at her for endangering his parents. She couldn't really imagine such a caring person like Hank, do something like that but the situation was grave and it was only life threatening scenarios that revealed people's true nature. She relied on Hank being too mature to succumb to such ways but she wasn't a hundred percent sure he'd remain calm. She didn't dare include his mutation into her thought. If he lashed out on her, she'd be basically defenseless against a mutant like him.

Olivia took a deep breath and entered the house. Amy was asleep on the couch and her leg was covered in a fresh set of bandages. She must have been outside for longer than she thought. Of course Hank didn't need Olivia's commentary while patching up Amy's leg. He was too smart and figured Amy required help with the injury.

He wasn't in the hall or living room with Amy. She also didn't find him in a kitchen which meant he was in the bedroom, looking after Edna. Olivia didn't wish to interrupt so she gently knocked on the door and waited. It didn't take long and she found herself facing Hank. She noticed his tired face and that he was still in his human form. There were no traces of anger. She quickly scanned his body. No blood, only a small scratch on his left cheek that has already almost healed.

She was happy to see him but unsure of what to do until he took the lead and hugged her. She didn't hesitate and returned the gesture. He buried his head into her long dark auburn hair and sighed. Olivia relished the moment. She felt safe in his arms and knew that this was over. He rescued Edna and Amy survived the attack. They were safe now and even if this would affect her mental state, she was going to be alright with the time. The pain she felt after losing Mary would never fade but she'd be able to go through it with someone like Hank by her side.

He didn't yell at her. He hadn't as much as looked at her the wrong way. She was too insecure and the fear clouded her mind when she seriously considered he'd blame her for what the crazy stalker had done.

They stayed like that for a while, but even this peaceful silence had to end. There was no point in standing beside Edna, she was sleeping and Hank forbade waking her up. Rest was the best cure in her case.

Back in the living room, Amy woke up and made some space for Daryl on the couch. Liam leaned on the armrest beside Daryl, even though there were two more chairs. Xavier got inside with some help from Logan and Mina followed them. Hank and Olivia returned to them together. They were all in one place so it was finally the time to get over everything that happened.

Amy was conscious enough and started explaining. Majority of people inside already knew what went down in her apartment but some remained in oblivion so she took it upon herself to start. Her story wasn't long since she was involved for barely a day. Olivia wrote her a letter which was basically a warning. She didn't forget to mention the man that she developed an instant attraction for. He was also the one who tried to kill them and worked with Olivia's stalker.

Olivia couldn't stop the sudden guilt. It was well established by now that no one blamed her and it was pure coincidence that she was targeted by this person. Any mutant could have been in her place right now and it was a safe bet that there actually were mutants in her place, but in the past. The last note exposed that. She had to wonder what happened to them. Were they dead? Or all their loved ones were dead and they couldn't do anything about it, not even call police because of the lack of evidence? Olivia shivered, that was a scary alternative of how her life could have turned had she not encountered Hank and his mutant friends.

Next up with the story was Hank and Mina since Daryl told his part in less than a minute. Nothing interesting happened. He was apparently not Olivia's closest person. He didn't mind it, because you know, no one was shooting at him. He was also a thoughtful friend and knew that what the definition of their relationship defined by the stalker was not something to be angry about. He knew Olivia considered him a friend and that was enough for him.

Mina told them everything, from the plan adjustments, to the mysterious woman that got away. The mention of her alerted Olivia, Daryl and Amy. There was one woman they found suspicious. Hank suggested that Mina described her. She was the only one who got proper look at the woman. She was really thin and tall. She seemed to be in fairly young age, but definitely older than Olivia or Mina, maybe in her early thirties. She had this weird hat that covered her hair, it was some kind of scarf, or it looked like that to Mina, she didn't have enough time to analyze her looks. She was sure about one thing though, it wasn't her darker skin or the heavy arsenal in her hands. Her calculating cold stare really struck her.

Amy and Daryl shared a horrified look. Olivia admitted she thought one of her colleagues was behind everything bad but they still had some minor doubts.

Daryl was understandingly shocked and demanded an explanation. Amy, as his most trusted friend told him it was true, there were just too many things pointing to Laura. The description Mina provided was too accurate for it to not be Laura. Even if the character traits she described didn't exactly scream Laura, it was her. It was either her or Marcus and he, as it turned out, just disliked Olivia and mutants. He was also often in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, he was the one who always kept Laura's company around the office.

Olivia was furious, sure, but her mind somehow resigned. Deep down, she knew it was one of her acquaintances. She wouldn't break down or cry from the betrayal. She was ready for this and already waiting for it to end. There were times when she cried and screamed in frustration and fear but that was over. Only thing that changed was the certainty.

While Hank returned to Edna's side and Xavier called the police to the house in woods, where Edna was being kept, Olivia and her friends had some alone time to think. Amy and Daryl's thoughts weren't that much different. They considered Laura a friend and couldn't put their heads around the fact that she had lied the whole time she was with them. If Olivia felt betrayed, it was nothing compared to the level of betrayal they felt.

Olivia got past the initial thought and focused on the motive. Why would Laura want to hurt mutants in such a way as destroying their relationships? Olivia never got to know her to such an extent that she could at least guess. Their relationship was strictly professional and limited to work hours. Real Laura wasn't actually the shy or nervous person. Her real name wasn't even Laura Railey. She was a sadist and a criminal - the worst kind of people humanity had to offer.


	20. It's all about family

Everything calmed down but there was still plenty to deal with. What was next? Did Laura really left and could she be found? Many questions rang in Olivia's head, but she couldn't pick a simple one to focus on. The amount of things she didn't know was so big and the thought that she might never get those answers scared her a little. She wanted - no, needed - to know why this all happened. Being mutant was surely the cause but by now, Olivia knew there were many mutants so why her? 

Plenty of burning questions lingered but those that she had to find answers to were about her future not the past. Xavier helped her by proposing a plan of the following action and she wasn't about to act all stubborn. She had regretted many things throughout her life but her biggest regret was not accepting his help the first time, before it had all started, before Mary was killed and all of them hurt. 

She wouldn't hate her life, though she wouldn't be happy either. Her work wouldn't satisfy her and she'd feel empty by simply working for money and not the pleasure of doing something she was good at and studied hard to achieve. However much she'd dislike it, Mary would be here, enjoying her routine early morning cup of tea. 

So this time, when Xavier offered to take them all in, she didn't really hesitate. It seemed like a right thing to do but only to her. Even though Xavier's mansion was huge and there was plenty of free rooms for everyone, they all refused except for her. It surprised her because no matter what Laura had written in the note, Olivia though they might still be in danger and she didn't feel safe enough just yet. She now realizes that it was only her, but who could blame them, they didn't go through it the same way she had to, she dealt with it for months.

She'd feel alone without McCoys by her side. There was no way Hank would allow them to stay in their conditions. Norton was already waiting for them in the mansion's hospital wing. 

Olivia decided to stay there, in a mansion, for the time being, and return to her house only after things settled down.

Liam was first to refuse Xavier's offer just after she agreed, but he was grateful and did so politely. As exciting as it'd be to finally see the great School for Gifted Youngsters, where he once could have been enrolled to, dwelling on the past was pointless.

Daryl agreed with Liam, he wasn't a mutant and Laura hadn't targeted him before, she wouldn't do so now after she had sent them a message where she admitted her loss. Since he knew what went down at Amy's apartment during the night, he and Amy changed the plan a little. She would leave her place but instead of going to the mansion, Daryl would take her to his home.

Xavier had already helped Amy enough. Thanks to his impressive mutation, none of her neighbors panicked upon hearing the shots. They hadn't even went out of their flats to check the hall. It was also thanks to Logan because it was him who called for Xavier's help without the girls even noticing and Amy could admit that, but it was still mostly Xavier's doing that helped. She couldn't imagine what would happen if neighbors heard it. There were pools of blood and red splashes on the walls. Logan took the maimed body but that was not enough. The floor and the stairs were dirty and slippery. Explaining that would be challenging, if not impossible. Amy was a creative person but her imagination had limits.

Olivia had more than one reason to return to New York for a week or two. That was the time she estimated would take her to calm down. She needed to rest but not only to gain energy. Her mental state was not that great either, she went through a lot of tough decisions, loss of her friend and the guilt - so much guilt. Olivia could hear everyone say it a thousand times that it wasn't her fault, none of it, and she would still feel the excruciating guilt that threatened to cover all of her feelings and crush her under its unbearable weight. She refused to call police or seek other kind of help. She could have done something, not stay silent. Well, it was too late to think of what could have been had she not decided to do nothing.

Visiting her father was on her to do list now, too. He helped her not only once with deciding about her future, he'd do the same this time as every other time that she needed an aid with whatever she brought to her mind and she was sure he'd have few questions to ask himself. 

The flight in the jet was quick and quiet. No one really wanted to say anything. Olivia barely knew this people, Hank was occupied and Edna sleeping so she decided to stay silent. The young girl, Mina, was on the verge of slipping to the land of dreams and one glance at Logan told her the best thing to do was keep her mouth shut.

She had few minutes to herself and couldn't stop thinking how this was so much better than sitting in a bus for endless hours. She couldn't stretch her legs out or exactly move that much, but it was still better, different - she was exhausted. 

There was no window in her near proximity so the only way to tell that the jet was landing was by feeling it. She had never flown in a similar aircraft before and didn't know when to expect it until it finally happened. 

When they landed, Olivia was surprised to see the insides of a vast gray hangar. She thought they'd land somewhere on a field or a roof but not inside. There was one more plane, far bigger than the jet she had just exited. She glanced up, wondering what was above them. Wasn't it a bit dangerous? What if someone needed to use the plane urgently, but there were people standing on the entrance to the underground hangar? Olivia shook her head and followed Xavier to the elevators before she got lost in the physics and construction that she knew nothing about.

Professor Xavier assigned her a room right next to Hank. His parents occupied another room on the same hall. In a way, Olivia still had her neighbors.

The room looked almost the same as the one in which she stayed during her last visit. She couldn't properly appreciate the place then. She was too focused on the Bradshaw and her hate. Her mind wasn't in the right place. Deep down she was still scared and kept getting back to imaginative scenarios of all the terrible things that could have happened. 

The window provided her with a nice view of school grounds and she was properly impressed. The school had everything ranging from the swimming pool to the running track. Being a child who studies at such a boarding school, she would actually enjoy all the excessive time she had while not being able to go out with friends since she had none. All the children here would never even think of bars and other free time activities that the busy life in the city provided. In a way, this was actually far better. They were healthier and surrounded by their kind, not risking anything in public schools.

Right below the window of her room started a path. It went near all the facilities and even garages but continued and disappeared in a large mass of green. She had to let out a small laugh. Of course Xavier's school had a park included. It only made her admire him even more. Keeping a mansion for himself would be nice, but he turned it into a school and saved many mutant children.

Upon closer inspection, Olivia noticed something shine in a distance and after few seconds of squinting her eyes, she could make out a surface of the lake. It was the water that shinned in the bright afternoon. All around were colorful spots. She imagined it to be kids, sprawled on the blankets, eating sandwiches. Some of them with books in their hands, doing homework, others simply enjoying a nice day outside. Thanks to Xavier, not a single child living in his school was in danger. They were happy. People like Laura couldn't touch them here. No sane person would threaten such a big community of mutants - many of which were undoubtedly pretty powerful.

Two days went by without Laura appearing. Not here or in Illinois. Norton was conscious and Edna completely healed. She only needed to sleep and handful of nutrition.

Hank refused to let Norton out of the hospital bed and since he was the doctor, no one argued, though he was acting a bit subjectively. Edna was constantly down there by her husband's side.

Mina came to see how Norton was doing and apologized during her visit. Edna was having none of that guilt crap and got a bid mad. Of course, in a good way. She told Olivia her honest opinion, which more resembled a speech. She didn't forget to mention how being born with a particular set of genes didn't make her their enemy. Being mutant wasn't bad even if slightly dangerous. She compared it to the ocean. The water was calm and beautiful and at the same time deadly, but no one would say it was bad.

Olivia appreciated it and smiled, even though she was being scolded. Hank apparently inherited this passion from Edna. Passion for things in which he believed.  
Hank returned to the small hospital like part of the mansion soon after. Olivia was still present and chatting with McCoys. Hank had some time until the school break was over and he had already prepared for the next lesson so he decided it was right time for checking Norton's condition.

Parents and their son bickered a little. Norton was ready to leave the hospital bed behind but it clashed with Hank's supposedly professional opinion. Edna only laughed at her boys but eventually had to agree with her husband. Norton was right, Hank was worrying too much. There was no need for new tests, he did them just few days ago.

Olivia quietly retreated to the higher floors of the mansion. She left during a row but knew it was really nothing. It was hardly a first time she witnessed such a thing in their family. It only proved what a nice family they were. All the harmony and love that surrounded them made her feel like an invader.

She wondered about her own family. Should she think of Marge as a part of it now? Her relationship with Olivia's dad seemed pretty serious. They weren't engaged but already lived together. There was a high chance it was her fault. Her father sought some kind of approval from the remaining family member and so far, Olivia only argued with the woman.

For a long time, it was just Olivia and her dad. They grew distant over the time so it was possible he didn't mention Marge for that reason. There was no space for it since they hadn't talked that often but also she saw something more behind it and hoped she was wrong. What if her dad was actually afraid to reveal his relationship to her? She wouldn't blame him. She didn't consider it cheating on her mum. Maybe when she was barely a teenager and still getting over the loss but she was mature enough to accept and know that people could fell in love several times during a lifetime. 

She had to give Margaret a second chance. Her actions, however bad, were justified. She was merely a human and got scared. It was nothing new in the world. Blaming her for such a normal and natural reaction to a danger and unknown wasn't right. 

Olivia imagined what it would be like if she met a criminal. She lived in New York after all and heard of many people on run while watching the news. Some were brutes, a proper thugs, various gang members but they were also people who looked normal, almost plain. Many of them wanted for assault or even murder. If one of them appeared at her door, Olivia would panic and try to call police. She shook her head. Arguing with Margaret was so pointless. Her defense system - offensive sarcasm, invited only pain and damaged her relationships. Luckily, Hank endured it and got her out of the shell, revealing a kinder spirit inside, but with slightly sarcastic humor nonetheless. Some traits don't disappear so simply even if the person isn't exactly fond of them.

Olivia pushed the bell button and waited. There was no answer for a while and in her nervous state, she considered turning around and leaving but she persisted. That would do no good. She had to get this over with. 

She couldn't stop biting her lower lip as she waited. This was nothing, just a talk, a simple conversation with her own father and his girlfriend and yet, Olivia was anxious as if Laura was supposed to emerge from that door and kill everyone Olivia loved. If she was being honest with herself, she'd admit how important this talk actually was. No place for screw-ups.

The door opened and she was instantly thrown into a bear hug. Her dad crushed her with his weight and she'd have said something had she not seen his eyes water slightly as he opened the door.

"I was so worried! Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you!" He engulfed her in a fresh wave of hugs until finally releasing her to see her properly. 

"When that Sommer, wait no," he glanced to the side as if the name would be written there somewhere.

"Summers!" he shouted triumphantly. "Yeah that's it. When he showed up and told me... Just don't do it again, okay Livy?" He sighed, little defeated. There was no sense of clinging to what happened, it couldn't be taken back or changed. As her father he should have been the first one to learn something like that but he was pretty aware of his own abilities and doubted he could have helped her other than provide emotional support. Olivia nodded her head and let him take her inside the house.

Upon hearing the real reason behind her visit, Frederick turned all serious, his face twisting in confusion. "What?"

Olivia stopped inside the hall and turned back to him. He heard her but was so bewildered that he had to ask. She merely shrugged her shoulders. The time came and she was finally ready to talk to Margaret and most importantly - apologize for her stupid and inconsiderate behavior. It took her ages to get to her senses and realize what was whose fault and who acted the wrong way. Spoiler alert - it wasn't Margaret, not at all.

He walked towards her and gave her another one of his hugs. "Thank you, this means so much to me." 

"I know," she said into his shoulder, small smile playing on her lips. 

She spotted a trace of tears in his eyes after they pulled away from each other. Past weeks were hard for Frederick as well. After long years of constantly being near, his only daughter moved to another state. He barely even heard from her and then came Margaret's car accident and a strange visit from a man he has never seen. That man brought such bad news that Frederick had a hard time accepting it as a truth. If he didn't believe in his daughter being in danger, maybe she wouldn't be but that was only a wishful thinking of a desperate father who couldn't have done anything to help his most precious thing in the world. Heck, he didn't even know about it. His appreciation and content showing in joyful tears wasn't a manly thing but he didn't care and neither did Olivia.

A sudden wave of sadness ran over her. Her dad wasn't perfect or fond of mutant kind but he was still her dad - caring and loving. He was always there for her and she only used his opened arms whenever there arose an issue, not to randomly ask him how he was doing. She hadn't even visited him on his last birthday and sent him a gift via post. She blamed it on busy schedule. He clearly loved her and she made him a victim of her lone life. Olivia pushed the thoughts away with a promise to herself that this would change even if she stayed in Illinois or moved somewhere else.

Now was as good time as any to get down to business. Olivia straightened up as if it'd raise her confidence. She clasped her hands in front of herself to cover up their shakiness.

"So, is Margaret home?" Referring to this house as Margaret's home was strange. It'd been always her home and when she moved, her dad's home, never anyone else's. Her nervousness didn't shake her voice, at least. She hoped it sounded normal. Olivia may try as hard as she wanted, Frederick would quite easily detect any change and she didn't want him to know how anxious this made her. This conversation with Margaret was going to affect not only her but her father as well and destroying his relationship wasn't on her agenda.

"She's inside. She didn't want to... you know." She knew. Margaret would rather stay inside than face her and start another fight.

"Yeah," Olivia answered solemnly. She was to blame for this. It was different from her stalker situation. That wasn't her fault and she couldn't have stopped it but talking off Margaret, being sarcastic and not very tolerant was what she could have done differently and she couldn't blame anyone else or a series of unfortunate events. She was just straight out mean.

With no more words, Olivia walked deeper into the house. She glanced to the stairs and pictures that framed the side wall. Seeing that no one moved them, not even the ones with her mother, surprised her and she had to scold herself for thinking so low of Margaret once again. She barely even knew her so judging her just yet wasn't in place. Margaret earned some brownie points for not being a jealous woman who would feel endangered by her dead mum. 

Margaret stood in the kitchen, leaning on the counter with a mug in her hands and blankly staring out of the window. When she heard steps, she turned around to find out who her visitor was. Upon seeing Olivia, Margaret backed from the counter, farther from the entrance where Olivia stood and closer to the back door but she didn't leave just yet.

Margaret glancing from the door to Frederick and back to Olivia several times was amusing to watch. She was unsure of what to do. Leave?

Olivia noticed the sudden determination in Margaret's face after she looked at Frederick. She put the mug down and took a few steps toward Olivia.

"I just want to... " Margaret began but Olivia interrupted her by sticking her hand out with an open palm, effectively stopping her mid-sentence with an open mouth and killing that determined look on her face.

"Please, don't apologize. You've already done that." Olivia wasn't about to let the poor woman apologize again. She wasn't at fault here and if anyone should be sorry than it was Olivia. 

Silence followed while Olivia pondered what to say and how to say in a way that'd not harm anyone and would stop this stupid bickering between the two of them that was purely an unwanted outcome of a simple misunderstanding. 

Margaret stopped her pondering and filled the silence before it got too tense and heavy. "I know, but I should apologize, though it's not what I wanted to say before you interrupted me." Olivia blushed but didn't say anything and decided it was better not to stop her again. 

"I want you to know that I'll never try to replace your mother. You're too old anyways. I hoped that one day, we could be at least friends." Olivia was glad to hear that. There was no one who could replace Louisa Tanner in her heart or even get close to what her mother meant to her. 

If the silence before was uncomfortable, this one was hell. She wished to say something but what? Friendship wasn't a promise she could keep. There was a long way in front of them and maybe Olivia wouldn't like what she finds in the end, or Margaret. 

"You know, Margaret's cat now lives with her mother." Olivia was torn from her mind by her Father's comment ripping through the silence. 

She looked at Margaret with a questioning look. She couldn't quite comprehend what a great gesture it was and asked if it really was the truth. Not like she didn't believe her own father, she couldn't imagine Margaret giving up her beloved cat just to make amends.

"Well, Frederick told me about your phobia and I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable in your own house." It hadn't been Olivia's house for a long time, but she was right. The cat gave her goosebumps. She wasn't angry with her father for telling her about the phobia. By the time they'd met, Margaret must have known plenty of things about her, especially if she and Frederick were thinking about marriage. 

Olivia kept her eyes on her. She appeared to be honest about her feelings and wishes. Maybe Olivia was too quick of a judge and Margaret wasn't so bad.


	21. Opinion changed

Olivia returned to the mansion even though her father offered her to stay in her old room. There would be some sense of comfort if she stayed. Her room had always been her little sanctuary. The bed was still filled with colorful pillows of various shapes. The shelves filled with books, from business to romance. The posters of her favorite bands over the bed and the pictures she cut out of the magazines still there. Her desk was clean, with only stack of papers and pen on it. Lamp in the corner and besides it a picture. Her mother's dark hair -same color as Olivia's- cascading down her back and over her shoulders as she held the small bundle of blankets. Louisa was smiling with a bright smile, her eyes not on the camera but focused a tiny bit higher, most likely at Olivia's dad. Her mother was so happy, no mutations or illness.

She closed the door to her room, staying there would be nice but she wasn't that child anymore. This was no longer her house. There were the pictures of her family, the cups with chipped tops that she used to wash every Sunday, the old collection of black and white movies, but she was an intruder. Although he memories would stay and she'd always call this place her home, it wasn't. It was a house where she grew up and moved on. Now, it was a place to come during weekends and birthdays. A place where she would bring her children to see their grandfather Frederick and his second wife Margaret.

Xavier's mansion was where she'd stay, much to her dad's dismay. He was worried about her, considering everything she went through, but he needed someone else to help her deal with this. Someone who could understand not because he cared about her, but because he knew what it felt like to be a mutant and different. She'd find that in the mansion. There, she wasn't afraid of Laura or touching someone and hurting them on accident. She wasn't afraid of anything inside those walls. Every child was so unique, but they shared a special connection - mutual understanding. She felt welcomed there. For the first time in her life, she wasn't the weird one out.

The stay in her room was getting boring. She didn't bring much with herself when they had left Illinois, something she regretted right now. Her clothes or the plain walls could barely entertain her mind for long. She should have brought some book.

With a sigh, Olivia lifted her body from the comfortable bed and glanced out through her window. The sun shone especially brightly today, she might give it a try. A walk in the impressive park she had been admiring from her room's view for so long sounded nice, maybe she would meet Mina or one of her friends. They were all friendly and easy to talk to, well, besides Logan. Even after the time they had spent near each other, he was still as intimidating as the day she met him. 

Olivia was still only getting used to the place. The halls and framed pictures seemed familiar, but she often found herself wondering where the hall lead, what was behind the corner. 

Walking through an especially wide hall, a face she recognized turned the corner, approaching her. Olivia's cheeks reddened instantly for there, right in front of her, stood Warren Worthington.

She gulped nervously as she they got closer to each other. Back then when she was furious for being fired. she didn't think her words through and just spitted out her angry rant at him. Since then, a lot had changed. She insulted him, in his own firm, for something he hadn't done. And to add to her misery, Warren had been anonymously helping her.

Before she could run the other way like a coward, they were next to each other. She felt like slapping herself. Warren looked equally distressed.

Olivia cleared her throat awkwardly. She didn't expect to meet him ever again in her life, but it seemed she had another score to settle. 

She was searching for words quickly, however nothing came. How was she supposed to apologize properly for misjudging him so poorly?

She was about to blurt out the first thing that came to her mind, it was better than the thick silence, when she noticed two white things sticking out of his back, few inches over his head.  
Olivia frowned, confused at what she saw. Warren noticed her eyes going up, skipping his face, hair and landing on something behind him. He immediately recognized the confused look so many had given him before her. 

"It's my wings," he clarified before she had time to wonder. Her eyes widened, her cheeks turning even redder. 

The urge to slap herself rose. Of course he was a mutant and while angry, she accused him of hating mutants. This couldn't get any worse.

Her guilt didn't escape his keen eye. Warren gave her a small smile, shrugging. His wings twitched a bit at the movement of his shoulder. 

Feeling like it was as good time as any to leave, Warren nodded his head, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he started to walk away. Olivia behind him shut her eyes, berating herself for screwing this up. She counted three and with what little she had left of courage, she spoke up: "Warren, right?"

He faced her again. For a split second she hoped he wouldn't stop and nod as he did. She hoped he would simply go on and spare her some embarrassment. But he stayed and so she dipped into that pit of courage once again.

"I- uh-" Olivia struggled for words. Apologies had never been her strong suit. This... she suddenly realized this was what Margaret must have felt like. Trapped in a situation so similar to hers Olivia understood more than ever. Perspective was a powerful thing.

"I'm sorry, okay?" She took a deep breath. "I was just so angry and you were there... look, I said things I shouldn't have-"

"Miss Tanner," he stopped her with uttermost professionalism, but his eyes conveyed a genuine message, "there is no need to apologize, I understand and you couldn't have known I am one of us." He spread his wings out, not fully, just enough to correspondent with his words.

Olivia didn't argue with him further. He accepted her apology and he didn't blame her. Nobody seemed to blame her for anything and yet she felt guilty.

After they had parted their ways, Olivia aimlessly strolled the mansion. The school was huge. Eventually she stumbled upon a chemistry lab.

Inside, there was a group of kids, a dozen or so, huddled close to the board. Olivia wondered who was the miraculous teacher that got kids to sit so close to the board. Usually, teenagers wanted to be as far from the teacher as possible.

Stepping closer, she saw Hank write another formula on the board. Why it didn't occur to her that it would be him in the chemistry lab, Olivia didn't know. 

A smile grazed her features as she watched him explain something to his students. She could see the passion in his eyes as he talked about topics so close to him. Science, she quickly found out, was his expertise. He loved teaching. It was obvious from the way he shined in the front of the class. He talked animatedly, stopping only if he noticed one of his students getting confused. He was caring and patient. His kindness and curiosity must have made him a wonderful teacher. He had a way with kids. This, not only science, was his passion, teaching kids what he knew, making them interested in chemistry and other sciences alike. This mansion was his home and through the eyes of his students, Olivia was getting to know him even better. Observing him when he wasn't aware of her there was educational.

Olivia was enchanted, staring at him as he was pointing at the molecular structures on the board and eagerly explaining. She didn't notice the petite girl with lavender hair appear next to her. The girl could have approached her invisible for all she knew.

"I get what you see in him."

With a start, Olivia noticed Mina by her side. Catching her breath with a hand over her heart, she gave the other girl an ugly look. Scaring her like that wasn't cool. But Mina wasn't looking at her, instead she was staring at Hank just like Olivia few seconds ago. Olivia waited for some sort of explanation.

"When I first came here, man, it was messy," Mina laughed silently, turning her gaze to Olivia,"I couldn't control my mutation at all and I made a mistake of sneaking in while Logan was in charge," Olivia made an understanding expression, that must have been one hell of an entrance. 

Mina continued: "Anyways, I grew to like a lot of people here. I found Logan and some really good friends but Hank, he was different. Without him I wouldn't be able to come to term with my mutations. He taught me the control but also to accept myself for who I am." 

Olivia wasn't sure where this conversation was aiming. Mina, as if sensing her confusion explained: "What I mean to say, don't make him let this go."

Olivia's brows furrowed. She understood what Mina was implying but she didn't like it one bit. She opened her mouth to protest but Mina didn't let her. "Before you say anything, I don't mean it the bad way. It just that I remember you coming here months ago. Simply said, you weren't impressed."

The girl was bold, Olivia admired that. She saw her point. Back those months ago, she was a different person. She wasn't angry at Mina for speaking her mind when she just wanted to protect her friend and teacher.

"I know," Olivia glanced at Hank, the corner of her mouth twitched in a suppressed smile. She must have been serious for this was a serious matter for Mina. "I would never ask him to leave this behind. I changed, a lot has happened and well, it opened my eyes. Keeping our children here, safe and sound, doesn't sound so bad." 

Mina nodded and left her alone. Olivia hoped she satisfied the girl with her answer. She glanced back at Hank for the last time before leaving the hall herself. She had to go think a little about her future. There were few more things which needed to be done.

Not even two full days later, Edna and Norton decided it was time to go back home to Illinois. Hank was understandably sad after hearing the news, but they both healed perfectly and there was no reason to keep them in Xavier's school. He offered to take them himself since they both hated flying. Olivia joined them on their trip. She had to take care of few things back there.

Edna and Norton were sleeping in the backseats of the car while Olivia and Hank shared the front. She was mindlessly staring out of the window, watching the trees pass next to the highway when Hank interrupted her daze. "What are you thinking about?"

She looked at him, the blankness in her eyes not gone, worry taking its place. "Laura," she whispered, not looking him in the eyes.

Hank didn't risk taking his eyes of the road but he put his hand over the one she had resting on her leg. "Don't worry about Laura. You are safe now, she won't come back and police finally has a real picture of her. They are searching in every state. They will find her. There is no way she could hurt anyone ever again."

Olivia squeezed his hand with gratitude. He always chose just the right words to comfort her.


End file.
